


The Substitute

by Ibelieveinahappilyeverafter



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: 2016 Christmas Truce, Anal Sex, Assisted Suicide Attempt (does not go through, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Gen, Getting Together, Gift Fic, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Past Character Death, Slow Burn, multiple sex scenes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2018-09-12 08:47:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 74
Words: 217,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9064705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ibelieveinahappilyeverafter/pseuds/Ibelieveinahappilyeverafter
Summary: Danny Fenton has a few simple goals - graduate high school, keep the ghosts from causing trouble with humans, and try to spend as much time as possible with the ghostly boyfriend he's absolutely head over heels in love with. One small problem, his ghostly boyfriend, Ghostwriter/Andrew Riter/ultimate bookworm, has just become Casper High's substitute English teacher.Hiding his secret was hard enough, but now he has to deal with reigning himself in around Andrew and trying to keep people from figuring out his true connection to their ghostly teacher - especially since they aren't supposed to know each other. At least his high school career is halfway over and the last two years wouldn't be so bad. After all, what was the worst that could happen?So, alright, he's having a few problems with his powers, Spectra is on the hunt, he might be feeling more than just friendly feelings towards Andrew's 'brother', and Walker and the Guys-in-White seem to be out to get him. That was just a normal day for him... Right? (Established Iambic Prose) (Slow Burn Coffee Grinds and Tea Cups) (2016 Christmas Truce Present)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kasena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasena/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour, mes chers! It's been quite a while, hasn't it? Now, before you all grab the pitchforks and torches, the reason I'm starting a new story is because this is my gift for the Christmas Truce.
> 
> Becca, unknowingly, assigned me cheshire-kas You know. My girlfriend who I'm utterly in love with? The prompt was Happy Iambic Prose and boy howdy did I go overboard. Brushed off an old thing and added about 20k more words to it this month with more planned.
> 
> I'm uploading the first few chapters tonight to prove that yes, I did do a thing and got my gift all nice and wrapped, but they'll be more uploaded over the next few days.

**Chapter One**

**::**

"I'm getting really tired of the work your English teacher is assigning you." Danny Fenton gave a quiet sigh, already prepared for the rant his boyfriend was ready to go into. It happened daily, at this point. "It's subpar, and while this is a nice lesson for those two years _below you_ , it's ridiculous for someone in your year."

"Andy, you've been saying this since you started tutoring me when I was a _freshman_. You're just upset us Americans are behind compared to you weird French people."

"I won't dignify that with a response." Laughing, Danny fell to lay across the man's lap, glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose.

"Because I'm right?" There was no response, Danny chuckling again and reaching up to steal a quick kiss. "Should I be prepared for you to start threatening death to him again?"

"Comes with being an assassin." Looking over at the different voice, Danny snorted at seeing his boyfriend's brother walking across the top of one of the bookshelves, the teen's math textbook in his hands as he read it. "Kind of a habit to threaten death to people we don't like, at this point."

" _Former_ assassin, thank you," Andrew snapped, telekinetic powers pulling Danny's notebook towards him. "You need to finish your creative writing assignment- Oh, don't give me that look. You're the one who signed up for the elective."

"Yeah, cause I thought it would be _fun_. The dude who teaches it keeps giving us really weird prompts, though- I mean, look at this. Tell me you could make something _good_ with this assignment." Andrew pushed the notebook a few inches away from where it had been shoved into his face, reading over the words. "Look at this."

There was a long silence, Andrew's eyes finally narrowing, "I have one more teacher of yours I wish to kill, now."

"You want to kill all his teachers, especially the English ones. You probably think you could do better than them," Randy laughed, flipping a page in the book. "By the way, these equations? Total bullshit. What do they _teach_ you in schools these days?"

"Just that," Danny rolled his eyes. "Bullshit." Taking his notebook from Andrew, he moved to where he was comfortably sitting in the other's lap, smiling at the look he was given. "You're comfy."

"Glad I'm nothing but a glorified chair for you, then." At the wicked smile he was given, Andrew quickly covered the teen's mouth. "I don't want you to even finish that _thought_." He could _feel_ the sunny smile he was being given. "Keep grinning, but you're not leaving here until you write the 500 words you need to."

"Oh, no. Trapped in a living library with my wonderful mate and boyfriend. Terrible. Dreadful. Truly, the horror I am being subjected to. It is far too much. This is the end for me! Kidnapped by ruthless ghosts! Locked away for the rest of my days- Never again to see the world!"

"I'm kind of impressed by how dramatic he got near the end there," Randy hummed, Danny giving him a thumbs up from where he was once again collapsed across Andrew's lap. "Seriously, though. This math book? Shit."

"You should see my French textbook." At the look, Danny sighed and pointed it out. "Go ahead. Andy already bitched about it- You know, for being 'mature and responsible' adults, you two really aren't all that mature and responsible."

"I died as a college student during the 80s. There's no saving me from that," Andrew shifted, propping his legs up on the coffee table in front of them and looking through the work Danny had finished, checking off the occasional error. "Besides, 22 is as immature as 17. Ask any adult." Danny looked to Randy.

"It's true. We're immature bastards for whom there is no hope of saving- What… What am I looking at- That- No. _What is this_!" The last few words were said in French, Danny feeling like he was more amused than he should have been. "Petit mec, _what horror am I looking at_?"

"High School French." At the dramatic groan, the teen shook his head and went back to outlining his creative writing assignment. "Yeah, tell me about it. Either of you could probably teach that class better- The woman who teachers it is like, Spanish, or something? I mean, no judgement, but she slips into Spanish a lot when teaching."

"Spanish does have similar words and connotations when compared with the French language," Andrew noted, circling a problem on the math homework and handing it back to Danny. "Wrong equation."

"Number three?"

"Number three." Huffing, Danny erased the answer, fixing it in a few moments and holding it back up to Andrew. "Perfect."

"Merci," Danny gave a sunny smile. "My French is already better than most of the class, considering I spend so much time around you two- Although the teacher was surprised I knew so many words for 'death' and 'killing'. I told her it was video games."

"Nice comeback," Randy snorted, using one of the spare pens to make corrections in the French textbook. Danny wasn't even one bit surprised.

"You deface that book, you get to pay for it when the year is out. Anyways, back onto the subject of, you know, killing my English teacher. Lancer won't even be there for the next four weeks. Something about a family cruise? I dunno, school's still looking for a sub that will be around that long, though."

"Still looking, huh?" Randy grinned, Danny narrowing his eyes at the tone of voice. "I'm curious! But, basically, you're telling me they need an _English teacher_ , yeah?" At the hesitant nod, Randy's grin grew wider. "I see-"

"No, you don't see. You're merely thinking idiotic things again," Andrew's tone was sharp and fierce as he threw a pen at his brother's head. With his training in throwing knives, it of course hit the other perfectly, right in the center of his forehead. "Don't even think about it."

"What? You're the one who said the kids deserve someone who actually knows what's going on-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Danny interrupted, hands held up for silence. "Are you actually suggesting that Andy _apply_ for the teaching job? Seriously? For one, I thought he didn't have his degree. For two, he's a _ghost_. For three- Actually, I don't even think I need more evidence than that."

"But he _does_ have his degree," Randy pointed out, Danny looking back to Andrew, who gave a small shrug.

"Online accredited program. Finished a few years after I died." Danny nodded, gaze going back to Randy.

"Ghost."

"Okay, but, I mean-"

" _Ghost_. Even if he _does_ have his degree, and even if it _would_ be really amazing for him to work there, do you really think _Amity Park_ is gonna hire him? The town that suffers ghost attacks daily- Well, not as many as there used to be, and not so much attacks as chaos and pranks- But still! They'd more likely call my parents!"

"So, since it's so hopeless, neither of you would care if I submitted his resume!" Before either one could argue, Randy was already gone from the area, the two hearing the distant noise of the front doors opening and closing. Andrew was the first one to react, a heavy sigh leaving him as he slumped forward to hide his face in Danny's shoulder.

"I know, I know, your brother's an idiot," Danny soothed, hand running through the other's hair. "There, there. It's not like they would actually hire you even if they _did_ get a hold of you, right?"

::

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." One weekend later and Danny had almost forgotten about Randy's 'plan'. Walking in and seeing Andrew sitting at the desk in English 101, though, had him almost walking back out the door. He wasn't even in a human _disguise_. He was utterly and completely ghostly. He was also looking rather pissed off.

"Wait… Wait, is that-" Tucker's question was cut off as other students behind them pushed them in, Danny reluctantly taking his seat and giving a look to Andrew, who returned it with a halfhearted eyeroll. Definitely Randy's fault, then. The other students, he noticed, seemed to be as confused as he was.

With the bell sending out it's warning ring, Andrew finally sighed and stood up, uncapping a dry erase marker and writing his name on the board behind him. "My name is Andrew Riter. You will be referring to me as Mr. Riter, anything else and you'll sorely regret the consequences." Yep. Definitely Andrew.

"For the next four weeks, I'll be your English teacher."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**::**

"Um, sir? Aren't… Aren't you a ghost?" Like Danny it seemed, most of the class looked to be at a loss as to what to do.

"Well made observation. Now, open your books to page 27." Settling back into the desk chair, Andrew watched as the students hesitantly did what they were told. "Before we begin, let's get whatever questions you have out of the way. I'm sure I'll only have to answer once, since half of you have your phones out and are hiding them under your desks."

"This is going to be the best day ever," Danny quietly mumbled, Sam giving a choked laugh beside him. Seeing a few students hesitantly raise their hands, he watched Andrew sigh and give a gesture towards one of them.

"Uh, I believe I speak for all of us when I say, what the absolute fuck?" A ripple of laughter spread across the classroom, Andrew rolling his eyes.

"Your school was looking for substitutes. Due to having finished a teaching program before my death, I was qualified for the position. My brother also happens to be an idiot, and sent in my resume before I could track him down and stop him. The school is fully aware of my status as a ghost, and have promised me that if I bring any harm to any of the students, I would 'regret it'."

Danny could _hear_ the quotes around the last two words. Unfortunately, most didn't seem to notice the humor so much as other parts of the explanation, "You have a brother?"

"To my great dismay. As if atoning for my sins by dealing with him in life wasn't enough, I have to deal with him in the afterlife, as well." Digging through papers on the desk now, a few students laughed along with Danny when most of them were tossed into the trash bin. "Next question."

"Why is your name so normal if you're a ghost?" There were going to be a lot of ghost-related questions, Danny could feel it now. "Like… Shouldn't it be all, you know, ghosty-"

"The word you're looking for, Ms. Anderson, is _ghostly_. Proper grammar and English, thank you. Now, every ghost has a name they're known by in our world, the ones you know being Technus, Skulker, and Ember." Someone asked for _his_ ghostly name, Danny biting back a laugh at Andrew's look. "Ghostwriter. Refer to me as such, however, and I must assume you are challenging me and I will feel no regret in using any or all of my powers against you. Next."

"Aren't you a ghost that's seen around with Phantom a lot?" Oh… Oh, this was going to be interesting.

"A lot of ghosts are 'seen around' with Phantom, I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific." That could be taken the wrong way very easily, and judging by the smirk Andrew shot him, the jerk knew it, too.

"Like, you're one of the few he hasn't sent running. Are you friends with him, or something?"

"Or something." Danny noticed Sam was looking at him strangely, which he didn't blame her, since he had buried his head in his arms and was trying not to laugh. "Are there any other questions dealing with Phantom?"

"Do you think he's cute?" Peeking up at that, Danny tried to hold in his laughter as he looked to Andrew, who had a very dangerous smirk on his face and oh. This was not going to end well for him.

"Considering I end up ruthlessly pounding him into my mattress most nights? Yes, I suppose I find him quite cute." The entire room went dead silent, Danny feeling as if ice water had just been dumped over him and oh. His mate was just being cruel, now. "Now that the questions are out of the way, we can get to actually attempting to _teach_ you something.

"First off, forget whatever you've been told when it comes to Shakespeare. His plays are trashy, after labor specials not fit to be studied centuries later. Second off, your teacher is an idiot and your syllabus is trash. Please feel free to rip it up and toss it out the nearest window." Standing up, he moved back to the board, marker in hand as he wrote in quick, clean, precise lines.

"For the next four weeks I am going to teach you about the _classics_ , and books that _should_ be remembered. Lessons on totalitarian society, lessons that our past can teach us, and how to word a test essay to please the most idiotic of graders. Are there any questions so far?"

"So," Paulina spoke up with a raised hand. "Are you gay?" Well, Danny had warned Andrew about the idiots he went to school with.

"Yes. Now, to page 27 like I was saying. Considering I've seen the kind of work you do in this class, today and tomorrow are about reviewing basics. Without those, you'll have no idea what to do with the concepts I _will_ teach you. First up, tenses. For as much as this is a lesson fit for elementary students, half the teens today have no idea how to refer to something in the past versus that of the present. We're going to fix that problem.

"Now, first up, some words remain the same throughout tenses. Example. I _will_ hurt your teacher as soon as he walks through that door. I _did_ hurt your teacher, but no one ever convicted me of it in a court of law. Note that hurt is the same in past and future tense, and the way to tell the difference are the words used around it."

Turning around, and absently flipping the marker like he would one of his knives, Andrew's grin widened at the total silence of the room, and looks on the student's faces. "Now, papers out and list every word you can think of that is the same throughout tenses. At the end of the class, you'll be knowing more than when you started. And won't that just be a miracle of the modern education system?"

::

"So. I guess Randy wasn't kidding when he said he was going to submit your resume, huh?"

"You are being entirely too amused by this situation," Andrew sighed, looking up to where Danny was sitting on his desk and kicking his legs. "Aren't you supposed to be having lunch, right now?"

"What? I can't eat lunch with my favorite teacher? The blasphemy." Grinning at the look, Danny shrugged, grin utterly unrepentant. "So, for the next four weeks, you're actually going to be teaching someone other than me. Grateful, or regretful?"

"The only joy I will feel is when I sink my knife into my brother's unmoving body. Also, your peers have no concept of context clues. Danny… I am worrying for this school greatly." It had been a simple lesson and already he was seeing so many problems in the students' learning capabilities.

"You and every other sane teacher. Spoiler, there isn't many of them." Chuckling, Andrew looked back to the mock test papers, blinking as he felt his chair pushed back. It was possible he then might have blushed when Danny straddled his lap, lips pressing hard against his own.

He almost sank into the feeling, hands already sliding around to cup Danny's hips and pull him closer. He then remembered that they were in a _school_ and that the classroom door was _open_. He quickly fixed it by using his powers to close and lock the door, but it was the principal of the matter. "I'm rather certain that it's frowned upon for students and teachers to have relationships."

"'Frowned upon' I can work with," Danny beamed, rubbing the tip of his nose against Andrew's, and, really. Andrew was far too weak to him. "Besides, it's not like anyone is going to find out." Shivering as Danny's arms tightened around his shoulders, Andrew couldn't stop his quiet groan as lips pressed against the side of his neck.

"I feel like I should at least try to lecture you about public decency and the trouble you could get into. Your parents would probably trap me in a thermos if they were to ever hear of this-"

"'If'," Danny pointed out, pulling back to peck Andrew on the lips. This time, Andrew made sure to eagerly return the kiss, hand moving to cup the back of Danny's head and keep him close. "I have a long lunch."

"Perfect." Really, ten more minutes wouldn't make much of a difference. He'd scold Danny on how this was a one-time thing later.

" _Andy_." Much, much later.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**::**

"Andrew. Andy. Ghostwriter. GW. My wonderful mate who needs to _wake up_." With the last two words, Danny rolled Andrew out of the bed, grinning at the groan and thump he heard. "In case you forgot, we _both_ have school today." Not hearing anything, he peeked his head over the edge of the bed, grinning down at the other.

" _You're a fucking demon._ " Aw, Andrew was always so adorable in the mornings. Especially when he started swearing at Danny in French.

"You're mixing up a few words there, love. You should have said, 'you're fucking _a_ demon', which is entirely far too true." Reaching down, Danny lightly tugged on one of his mate's pointed ears, smiling softly as Andrew reached up to grab his hand and kiss the tips of his fingers. "Wake up, demon, you gotta get ready to teach ungrateful and spiteful teenagers."

Hopping out of bed, and stealing a pair of slacks and a shirt from the other, Danny hopped to the kitchen, looking around to see the coffee was already made. "Truly, Vidya, he doesn't deserve you." Amused humming tumbled through his head, the teen happily humming along as he reached for their usual cups. "So, here's a question, would you get fired if the school board finds out we're sleeping together?"

"Maybe?" Andrew yawned, giving Danny a sweet kiss when he had a coffee cup handed to him, hand coming up to rub at his exposed hip where his shirt was riding up. "Don't really know, don't really care."

"They probably won't find out- I mean, the entire schools already thinks you're sleeping with Phantom. Which, you know, not technically a lie." As proven last night. "Still! Just gotta be careful not to let them connect the dots between Fenton and Phantom, and we're golden!"

"With our bad luck?" Sighing, Danny pecked Andrew on the cheek, nudging him towards the table to sit down.

"I can dream, mon ange. I can dream."

::

"Sooo, Mr. Riter, you know how you said we're free to ask you ghost-related questions at the beginning of class?"

"Something I am surely going to regret by the end of this day, but yes. Do you have a question?" Andrew hated high school. Why did he ever want to teach _teenagers_? This was a circle of hell that he wanted no part in. The deepest circle of hell.

"So, yesterday you said you _sleep_ with Phantom, and, well… Is he any good in bed?" Oh Lord on High strike him down now for the sins that have been committed.

"Asking a teacher about their sex life rarely ends in good things, Ms. Sanchez." A glance to Danny showed his face was a complete red, and he had his gaze trained on the window. Well… It would be a shame if Andrew couldn't have a _little_ fun with this. "To answer your question, however, yes, he is _very_ good in bed." And he thought his mate's face couldn't get any redder. Oh, how wrong he was.

"Who tops?" Alright, so teaching teenagers wasn't so bad, if he got to have fun like this every day.

"I'll let you take a wild guess," Andrew snorted, reaching for one of the markers and standing up to write the day's lesson. "And it isn't the hero."

Sam and Tucker slowly looked over to Danny, who had pulled his hood up and was doing his best to ignore the world at large. Poor little thing must have been an embarrassed mess, at this point. "Any more questions before we get started?"

"What kind of ghost powers do you have? Like, besides the flight and stuff?" Now there was a interesting question.

"I can control, rewrite, and shift reality to suit my needs whenever I want. Meaning, if I was so inclined, I could make it to where you never existed and where no one, at all, remembers you were here. Worse, I could make you fail. Of course, I don't really need my powers for that one, since most of you can do that on your own."

The complete silence was something he was very proud of, Andrew turning back to the board with a content hum, "Now, onto today's lesson."

::

"I cannot _believe_ you! _Why_ would you say that in front of my _classmates_! Are you trying to send me to the other half of my death?"

"They asked a question, I answered, no one thinks you're Phantom." Andrew was more amused than anything, halfheartedly grading papers as he watched Danny pace along the classroom floor. He could tell right now that Danny spending lunch hour there was going to become a habit. "Are you going to continue panicking, or are you going to eat your lunch?"

" _My life is ruined_." Such dramatics. It was more than a little amusing, to be honest, especially since Andrew could tell Danny was just being dramatic for the sake of being dramatic, at this point.

"Oui, oui, mon cher. Everything is completely ruined and there is no hope or future for you here in this town. Truly, your best hope is to flee into another world, and never again return." Rolling his eyes as he felt Danny lean against him from behind the chair, he sighed and leaned back. "It's fine, Danny. No one's going to connect things."

"But _what if_." At the raised eyebrow, Danny gave a sigh of his own. "Yeah, yeah, I know. What and if are nothing but words in the English language and to put them together in such a way as to where we question ourselves and our choices is a poor decision, and we are better off putting that mental energy into changing things, instead of wishing away for the past."

A long silence, Andrew finally shaking his head with a sigh, "Why can't you remember your vocabulary lists that well?"

"Oh, complain, complain!"

::

The questions at the start of class, apparently, had become a _thing_. It was something Danny wasn't sure he should be amused by or not. It also was a thing, however, that most of the questions were asked in first period. Word of phone did indeed travel fast in his school.

"Hey, Mr. Riter, how old are you? Like, age that you, uh-"

"Died?" At the small nod of the student, Andrew rolled his eyes with a smile. "Twenty two." Danny sighed and oh, this was going to be interesting. Andrew seemed to realize his mistake, as he looked back at the class from where he was writing notes on the board. "Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret telling you that?"

"Wait, wait, wait! How old is Phantom, again?" This was officially Danny's favorite class of his entire school career. If only for the drama that was happening.

"He is at the age of where he can legally consent, and that's all you need to know." Flustered Andrew was so nice to watch. "Someone please ask another question. Please."

"Can we ask how you died?" Gritting his teeth, Danny tried not to glare at the person who had asked. Especially when he saw how uncomfortable Andrew looked at the new topic.

"I would rather not discuss the details." Neither would Danny. Andrew didn't talk much about how he died, and Danny would rather not know the details.

Raising his hand, Danny made sure to speak loudly enough to capture the room's attention, "Mr. Riter, which ghost do _you_ find the most annoying?"

"My brother." The answer was immediate, ripples of laughter spreading through the classroom and erasing the tense atmosphere that had been forming. "He has redeeming features, but I'm not sure the rest of him is worth the trouble. Now, if we could return to actually learning something."

Looking down to his notes, Danny fell into the familiar routine of listening to Andrew and taking notes, near forgetting they were in school. He only realized it when the bell rang, students rushing to escape the classroom. Gathering his things, he walked up to Andrew with a smirk, "Randy's probably feeling pretty insulted right now, you know."

"I can't much find it within me to care," Andrew shot his own smirk back, the look softening after a few moments. "Thank you, mon cher."

"Of course. By the way, _Mr. Riter_ , how would you like to have lunch with me, later. A lonely student who's all alone with you in your classroom where there's no chance of anyone coming in-" The rest of his words were cut off with a hand over his mouth, Danny's grin wide.

"You are incorrigible."

"Only for you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**::**

"Ah, Mr. Riter, I was hoping I'd catch you here!" Danny paused from where he had been chatting with Andrew over their lunch break, amused at the teacher in the doorway. "And Danny, I didn't expect to find you in here."

"Yeah, I was confused over this morning's lesson. Luckily, _Mr. Riter,_ here, was able to help me," Danny smiled, collecting his things. "I have to meet up with my friends anyways." Heading for the door, and shooting a wicked grin over the teacher's shoulder to Andrew, he gave a wave. "Bye, Mrs. Petricoff, Mr. Riter." He could _see_ the abandoned look in his mate's eyes.

Getting down the hallway, and already planning ways to make it up to Andrew later, he paused at the wisp of cold air that left his mouth. "Why, if it isn't out cute little halfa! Really, Danny dear, I feel like we haven't seen each other _at all_ lately."

"Really? And here I was working so hard on avoiding you _completely_. I'll have to do better in the future." Stay calm, expand your senses, concentrate. "You know, I could be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure there's that truce in effect." It had been damn hard to convince all the ghosts to follow it, too. "No attacking the school or each other if possible, and all that." Seeing the wisp of a shadow out of the corner of his vision, he narrowed his eyes, which had become a glowing, toxic green. "What are you doing here, Spectra." It wasn't a question.

"Aw, can't I come and visit my favorite suicidal teenager? I mean, you need to talk to _someone_ about all these feelings you're having, Danny dear. The fact your _mate_ is forever stuck in his early twenties, and look at you! Still alive, still aging, still gaining more and more chances to lose him each and every day-"

The sound of a body slamming into the lockers was heard throughout the halls, Spectra only grinning at the glowing green hands that were pinning her in place. " _If you have any form of a self preservation instinct, you will_ _ **shut up**_."

"Angry I hit the nail on the head?" Both paused at hearing approaching voices, and the sound of a door opening. "Don't worry, dear, I'll be sure to talk to you _all_ about this as soon as I can…" Danny grit his teeth as she vanished back into the shadows before he ducked into a side hallway himself, trying to calm his tangled thoughts.

"Danny?" Looking over at hearing Andrew's voice, he saw the older raise an eyebrow. "Is there a reason you're hiding in the corner of a hallway?"

"No?" Danny chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Just wanted to make sure Mrs. Petricoff didn't try and recruit you onto one of her crazy committees. Heh."

"It is times like these I remember how terrible a liar you can be, mon cher." After another shrug and nervous smile, Andrew rolled his eyes and seemed to let it go. Sighing, Danny began following after him. Even from his mate, he supposed, it was better to keep some things secret.

With how things were right now, and where they were heading… Humans and ghosts hadn't really been meant to mix, after all. Danny was proof of that.

::

"So, am I a genius, or am I a genius?" Randy just barely dodged the knife that had been thrown at him, laugh escaping as it clattered to the floor. "Aw, come on! It's only four weeks, and you can't tell me you aren't having fun over there."

"As soon as this is all over, I'm sacrificing you to our once Lord." Seeing the other open his mouth, Andrew narrowed his eyes with a growl. " _Sacrifice_."

"Alright, hun, tone it back there," Danny chuckled, adjusting his position to better lean against Andrew's shoulder, legs propped up on the rest of the couch as he worked on his homework. "You have to admit, this is a plan of his that _didn't_ go to shit straight away. For him, that's improvement."

"Slight improvement," Andrew reluctantly agreed, flipping to another page he was grading. "No, what… No, you can't just make words up. This isn't Creative Writing, it's _English_! There are set words and rules- Are you Dr. Suess? No? Then don't fucking make up words!" Danny slowly looked up from his own work, sharing a worried look with Randy.

"Andy, love, do we need to be worrying about you?" Grading papers was one thing, but this was… This was interesting. Granted Andrew's obsession was writing, so he supposed English was a subset of that. Grading papers had to be hell for him right now.

"Your school is full of idiots, mon cher. This- No. This is terrible." They could _hear_ the pen that was marking through answers. "This was a lesson for _elementary_ students. _How_?" Danny rolled his eyes, Randy snorting a few feet away as Danny spoke up again.

"This is going to be such a _fun_ four weeks for you, mon ange. Let me know how you deal under all that stress before cracking." Because generally, Andrew didn't act his age unless he was stressed, or it was early in the morning. Danny had to admit, though, it was fun to watch him actually _act his age_.

"This… This is just words thrown onto paper. That's all this is- These aren't even words. It's _bullshit_." Danny half wondered if he should be recording moments like these. They were rather rare, after all.

"I'm not sure if offering to make him coffee would make this worse, or better," Randy hummed, finally giving a nod. "I'll make tea."

"Um, Randy? If you're from France, why are you _British_?"

"Oh my god, Danny," Randy looked so offended, turning to Danny with a shake of his head, "You can't just _ask_ someone why they're British!" Danny let out a laugh as Randy headed to the kitchen, Andrew still muttering under his breath and marking through things.

"Yes, yes, _perfect_. There is hope." Had to have been one of the nerds then - or maybe Sam or Valerie. Those two were good in English. "And of course yours," Andrew hummed, small smile on his face. "You've improved since you first showed me your work."

"What can I say, I have a good tutor," Danny shrugged, smile on his own face. It was a few minutes of silence before he heard the pen marking through things again, this time rather viciously.

"No, no- No! Why would you answer like that? What student _actually_ uses text speak in their homework? Is this a joke? This is a joke- No, you know what? This is English, not text speak. _Fail_!" Danny was doing his best to not laugh, although he had a feeling a few giggles slipped out.

"You're really getting into this, aren't you?" Andrew's response was a vague wave of his hand, Danny rolling his eyes and blinking at the tea cups that were in front of them. "Yes. Good Randy."

"I am indeed the besterest- The pen being thrown at me is unnecessary, thank you." Taking his own cup and retreating to the corner, Randy went back to reading the Advanced Mathematics book he had been using earlier. Danny wasn't sure if he was being serious, or not. "So, Andy, how's teaching a bunch of teenagers?"

"Better than working for greedy, overstuffed pigs," Andrew answered, twirling his pen absently while looking through the next few pages. "Although I sorely wish I could put a few of them in a dungeon- No. This… I… _Why_." A minute's pause, the man running a hand through his hair before giving a quiet sigh. "No."

"This is the best day ever and I cannot be convinced otherwise- No, scratch that. Second best day." At Randy's look, he gave a shrug. "Best day was when he told me he loved me."

"That… That is disgustingly cute. And very sappy."

"I am the second best at sap," Danny nodded, finishing up his work and closing the books, tossing them onto the table with his glasses before rolling over to make himself comfortable on Andrew's lap, Randy giving a snort of laughter.

"I am 87% certain you were a cat in a past life."

"Possibly," Danny agreed, grinning as Andrew gave a huff and used him as an impromptu table. Reaching over and taking a sip of tea, he set the cup back on the table and settled down. Dealing with Spectra, even with a few minutes at a time, was _exhausting_.

The peaceful silence of the library lasted for near fifteen minutes, Danny almost asleep before he heard his mate give a loud, pained sigh.

"You fucked up, Baxter."

This time, _both_ Danny and Randy ended up in the floor from laughter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**::**

"So, how often do you see Phantom, and spend time with him?" This was his own fault for having the first few minutes be a period of free answers.

"Rather often. Contrary to popular belief, he doesn't constantly patrol the town looking for threats. Or sleep in the clock tower. And, really? Are you all just stealing from comic books, at this point?" A ripple of laughter went throughout the class, Andrew rolling his eyes as he stood up and started writing the day's lesson before he gave a pause, "Also, those three phones I'm hearing better be put away when the lesson starts."

"How…" Ah, good, he could still inspire terror in young children. Always a good thing to be able to do. "Sir, uh, how the _fuck_ can you notice that?"

"Ghost hearing. So trying to hide your phone is of little use, when I can _hear_ your fingers tapping against the screen." Absently reaching for the textbook, Andrew flipped through a few pages, frowning at some of the lessons. The urge to burn the textbook…

"Is it true Phantom was the son of dead detectives and is trying to avenge his family's brutal murder?" It was a long moment before Andrew turned around, shaking his head in horror at the mere _thought_.

"He's not Batman." Oh dear, he would have to deal with so many _puns_ when they got home. And when Danny told _Randy_ , then there would be Batman _and_ Joker puns. "I'm never going to hear the end of this… Alright, anymore questions?"

" _Do_ you know where Phantom came from? I mean, he showed up the same time as all the other ghosts, and so, you know, it's weird that we _don't_ know anything about him."

"If you're that curious, you can track him down and ask him yourself. His past is his own business, and those he chooses to share it with. Not a bunch of curious teenagers who enjoy putting him up on a pedestal."

"Isn't that sort of a thing you _do_ to heroes? I mean, they're _heroes_." Teenagers, honestly.

"Yes, but he isn't just a hero, now is he? He has his own life - in a manner of speaking. To reduce him to nothing but the hero is a mistake you will regret making." He saw Danny shoot him a grateful smile, Andrew giving a small one in return. "Last questions - and those phones better be put away, now."

"So, what's Phantom like when he's not saving people?" Offer the chance to ask questions about ghosts and all they want to know about is the town hero. Typical. Although Andrew _did_ love talking about his mate.

"Must every question you lot ask be about Phantom?" Andrew sighed, looking back from where he was writing out the day's lesson. Seeing the expectant looks, and Danny's amused grin, he rolled his eyes. "He's a childish brat who never stops making puns, he has terrible humor, he has a hero complex bigger than any comic book character, and he forgets that for as much as he's a ghost, he's also remarkably human in nature."

"Uh, sir? What do you mean 'human in nature'?" Hm, it seemed they knew ghosts were spirits of the dead, but he supposed they never really thought about how they had _died_.

"Well… As you know, ghosts are the spirits of departed humans. The thing is, however, that when it comes to the ghosts of the Ghost Zone, and by extent Amity Park, things are… They're different." A pause, the marker slowly coming to a stop on the board. "We remember our lives, and our mistakes, and everything we did to end up where we are now… We remember those who hurt us, those who saved us, and what caused us to be the way we are.

"With ghosts, emotions are stronger, and more volatile. The irritation _you_ might feel over a silly fight could quickly become a dark anger, in beings such as us. Obsessions, sorrow, anger, hate, revenge… It's so easy for those emotions to become stronger in ghosts, and to take over - one of the reasons they often attack the town. For as much as we're seen as 'demonic' and beings of evil, however, we were human, once. Maybe that's just something we keep trying to remember…

"Anyways! On to today's lesson, which you _sorely_ need, after seeing the answers you gave for your last homework assignment."

::

"Huh, not here." Biting his lip in worry, Danny backed out of the empty classroom. Strange, since Andrew was usually in his room grading papers during the lunch hour - and after that morning's class, Danny was slightly worried about his mate. Talking about death wasn't easy for any ghost, add the subject of humanity on? Well, he had a _reason_ to be worried.

"Alright, think, Fenton. He wouldn't leave school grounds, so where- Oh, _duh_." Shutting the door, he headed down to the other side of the school, pushing open the door to the school library and rolling his eyes as he saw Andrew sitting at one of the desks, papers spread out around him. "This a habit of yours? Hiding in libraries?"

"Mm, I suppose it is," Andrew hummed, smiling as Danny took a seat beside him. "The same could be said of you, I might add."

"True, but at this point, it's only because libraries remind me of you. By the way, how many Batman puns do you think I could get away with?" Chuckling at the exasperated sigh, the teen leaned into the other's shoulder, grateful the library was empty during most lunch hours. "Although you're less like Joker, if you ask me, and more like Catwoman-"

"You _have_ to be joking. Catwoman? Really?" Ah, there was the Andrew he knew and loved. Much better than his sad mood this morning.

"Tell me you're not a cat person. You and I both know that if you were human, Vidya would be your pet cat, instead of your lair. Also, it totally fits! Running around on rooftops and using knives and stuff and stealing from the wealthy and sometimes giving to the poor and with a major thing for Batman? It _totally_ fits."

"I will agree on the last point." Danny rolled his eyes, laying his arms and head down on the desk as he watched Andrew sort through papers and note cards.

"So… How are you doing after this morning? Cause, I mean, I have a feeling you didn't have all that much fun with the Q and A back there." At the quiet shrug, Danny gave a sigh, pulling himself up to sit on the table and get Andrew's attention. "Come on, out with it. What are you all sad and depressed and pained over?"

"It's nothing, mon cher. Just a few bad memories brought up." Danny narrowed his eyes, moving to sit in Andrew's lap. At the raised eyebrow, he gave another huff. "Alright, you want me to say what's bothering me? You first." Goddamn clever mate.

"You are the literal worst." At the look, he turned to glare at the bookshelves. " _Literal_ worst." Feelings the arms tighten around him, and pull him in for a hug, Danny gave a tired sigh. "I just had a run in with Spectra the other day, and she said some stuff that I didn't really wanna think about. So, you know, normal so-so stuff, and all- Why does it look like you're plotting the perfect way to tear her core out?"

"I would _never_. Now, slicing her head off, however." At the light slap to his chest, Andrew gave a shrug. "Just as a backup plan, is all. Is there any chance you feel like telling me exactly what she said, however?" Danny's expression must have shown his thoughts, since Andrew shook his head and gave a light kiss to his forehead. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, mon cher."

"Nothing _bad_." An absolute lie. "Just, maybe later, I guess… But, uh, yeah, what's up with you? You're acting a bit more depressing than you _usually_ are."

"Glad to see I know how you _really_ think of me." At the kiss to his cheek, Andrew rolled his eyes. "I suppose I realized just how stuck I am." Frowning up at him, he watched as Andrew shook his head, resting his forehead on Danny's shoulder. "You may be half ghost, mon cher, but you're still _human_. You can still learn, and grow, and become the person you _want_ to be. I'm forever stuck as the person I died as… Someone who runs away from the past, and refuses to let anyone get too close."

The two fell quiet, Danny quietly running a hand through Andrew's hair, and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "I guess I can kind of get that, the whole 'what if' thing. What if you were human, and we met on the street. What if I was a full ghost, and we met in the Zone. What if you were alive, or I was dead… You know, it's kind of funny, though." A quiet, humorless chuckle. "My problem is that I'm _too_ human, and your's is that you're not human _enough_. How's that for star crossed lovers?"

"Why did you not sign up for drama club, again?" At the elbow to his stomach, Andrew gave a laugh, tugging Danny closer to him, and locking his arms to his side. "And what do you mean by _too_ human?"

"Nothing, guess I just don't really have the words to describe what I wanted- But, uh, anyways, what are you doing with all this stuff? Aren't these the note cards for the filing system?"

"I was converting everything to the Dewey Decimal System." Danny paused, slowly raising an eyebrow to his mate. "Have you seen this system? This library is ridiculous."

"Are you… Are you even _allowed_ to do something like that?"

"Well, if I don't ask, they can't tell me no, now can they?" Danny shook his head, probably more amused than he should be.

"Don't blame me when the librarian comes after you with a chainsaw and hatchet."

"She's _eighty_ , sweetie. I think I'll be fine." At the look, he tilted his head. "What aren't you telling me."

"She has a black belt, traveled the world in multiple martial arts competitions, and was in the Marines. You ruin her library at the risk of another death." Patting his mate's cheek, he gave him a quick kiss. "If you _do_ manage to piss her off, however, come to me. I'll make sure to protect you."

"Don't you always?" Ah, now Danny remembered why he kept Andrew around. Well, that and being ridiculously in love with him, of course.

"Yup! Now, come on, ghost you may be, but you still need to eat." Jumping up, he dragged Andrew with him, the man grabbing the teen's backpack before it could be forgotten. "Also, what are the chances of you killing my science teacher for me?"

"Who teaches your science class?"

"Mrs. Petricoff."

"Optimistic."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick head's up that this chapter does have a smut scene in it. Time skips '::' mark the beginning and end so you'll be able to pass over if you don't wish to read.

**Chapter Six**

**::**

"Uh, petit mec? Why does Andy look like he just saw how the world is gonna end?" Danny looked up from the book he had been reading, gaze going from Randy, to Andrew. The man had been walking towards one of the back offices, binders and papers in his arms, before he had suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"I am not sure. At all. Andy, hun, you alright?" A quiet mutter that he couldn't make out was his only answer. Sighing, and setting his book and glasses aside, he made his way over to the other. "Andy. Come on, what's up?"

"I… I have to give parent teacher conferences…" Danny slowly blinked before glancing over to Randy, who gave a shrug of his own. "I just realized I'll be in that school long enough that I'll need to do the parent teacher conferences- I'll have to talk with _parents_ about their child's _progress_."

"Alright, um, Andy, sweetie, are you having a mental breakdown?" A hesitant shrug. "A small mental breakdown, then?" This time the response was a nod. "Right, so, I feel like tea would be good here- Oh, man, your brother made me a tea nut."

"Ha!" Randy grinned in triumph, wrapping an arm around Andrew's shoulders and nuzzling at his cheek before tugging him towards the kitchen, Danny quietly following after and snagging his backpack and glasses on the way in. He could at least get some of his homework done. "Healthier than that shit you two are always drinking. Honestly, I'm surprised you can even _drink_ that stuff."

"Meanwhile, you're over here drinking hot leaf juice," Danny snorted, gently nudging Andrew towards one of the chairs, prying the books and papers out of his arms. "Truly, your choices are _so_ much better than ours."

"Oh, hush up, you- Hey! You kept the halloween picture!" At seeing both of them look at him in confusion, Randy rolled his eyes and snagged the picture of himself where he looked like Andrew, one that had been tucked away into a corner of the counter. "This. Halloween picture. I took it, like, _years_ ago. Didn't think you'd keep it."

That seemed to snap Andrew out of his breakdown, the man giving a snort, "Well, it _is_ the only picture I have of you where you're not drunk."

"Aa, there's my ruthless, sarcastic mate I've so come to love," Danny happily sighed, opening his backpack and pulling out a binder at random, glasses being slipped back on. "Nice to see the shock wore off." A few minutes into his work, he felt more than saw Randy set a cup of tea down next to him, staying to hover over his shoulder for a few moments. "I am open to comments at this point, you know."

"Huh, no, just… You're kind of doing it the long way round, aren't you?" At Danny's look, Randy rolled his eyes and leaned over him, grabbing a pencil and writing an example question in the blank space. "See, look. If you do this step instead, you can skip the next three. Plus, it's just easier to understand if you don't have time to write it out."

"Randy." Pushing himself away from the table, Danny stood up and hugged the other tightly. "You are the best person ever and I love you. Maybe almost as much as Andy."

"I'm honored I still come first, then," Andrew chuckled, taking a sip of his own tea. "He showed you the equation trick of his, I'm guessing?"

" _Best_." Randy hesitantly patted the top of Danny's head, looking over to Andrew in panic and confusion. As a general rule, he wasn't used to being _clung_ to. Hugs? He could understand hugs. Clingy half ghosts who were impossible to escape from? Well, that was another matter altogether.

"Give up hope of escape. I can say for certain that if you do one of your 'escape in the dead of night for weeks on end' tricks now, he will be very upset." They both heard a quiet, pained sound, the two looking down to see Danny had a cautious expression of hope about to be crushed.

"You… You wouldn't really do that… Would you?" The kitchen was utterly silent for a few moments, Randy finally letting out a groan of pain and defeat, and Andrew giving a loud laugh.

"You evil, clingy child." At the slightly hurt look, Randy sighed again, finally returning the hug and bundling Danny closer, chin resting on top of his head. "No, I won't leave in the dead of night unless it's something important, or I tell you first."

"Promise?" Randy nodded, saying the word back before he paused, eyes narrowing.

"I… Why do I feel as if I just signed my soul away?"

"Because you did."

::

"Mom, Dad, I'm telling you. You don't _need_ to talk to the English sub- I mean, sub, right? Not much of a point! If you're that concerned about my grades, you can talk to Lancer when he gets back!" All of Danny's attempts did nothing as he hesitantly followed after his parents, who had just entered the English classroom. Poking his head in, he groaned at seeing most of his classmates were in the room as well.

"Andrew! What are you doing here?" And, yep. Half the class was looking. Damn this school and it's ability for the students to sniff out the latest source of gossip. "Wait- Are _you_ the substitute?"

"Hello Maddie, Jack. And yes, I am. My brother thought it would be amusing to submit my application and resume into the school." Maddie gave a sigh, while Jack patted the other on the back. "I have to congratulate you two, however. You're the first parents who haven't run away screaming."

"Of course not! Fentons are made of strong stuff, and ghost hunting is in our blood!" Jack boomed, Danny groaning from the doorway before whining as Sam and Tucker grinned and started dragging him into the room.

"Not that we'd ever hunt you, Andrew," Maddie reassured with a bright smile. "Friend of the family now, and all that."

"Kill me now," Danny whined, blinking at the dollar store cookie that was held in front of him. It was chocolate, at least.

"Oh, come on, Danny, it's not that bad. So the school will have a bit more gossip for the next few days over your parents not hunting our ghostly teacher. Doesn't meant the world is ending!" Reluctantly taking the cookie and nodding at Sam's words, Danny looked to Tucker, who had taken a seat on the desk beside him.

"Yeah, I mean, at least no one's found out about you skiving off lunch every day to spend time with him. You know, yet-" At the panic in his friend's eyes, Tucker immediately put his hands up. "Whoa, okay, just kidding. Calm down. Seriously, man, no one's gonna find out any of your secrets. And come on, it's only another week or so until Lancer is back, right?"

"Plus, the whole time, Ghostwriter's been able to walk you home," Sam pointed out. "Thanks to those reality shifting powers of his. And you get to see him during school hours. So, you know, some good came of this, right?"

"Yeah- Yeah! You're right. This last month or so wasn't so bad! Besides, Lancer will get back, everything will return to normal, and I won't have to worry about any secrets getting found out- I… I feel kind of bad about that, though…"

"What do you mean?" At the curious looks directed at him, he gave another sigh.

"I just… Andrew always wanted to teach, and now he can, but it's only for a short time. Seems kind of bad of me to want it over so quickly." Even with Andrew dealing with the stress of getting used to interacting with more than just one or two people at a time… Danny hadn't seen him look so at peace, before. "Actually, forget bad. I just feel like a dick."

"Hey, come on, cheer up, man." Tucker threw an arm around the other's shoulder, pulling him in for a hug. "Maybe something will pop up and he'll get a chance to sub again. Kinda weird having him teach us, but you have to admit, he's really good at it."

"Yeah, I can definitely see why you've been getting so many good grades the last few years," Sam smirked, sitting on the desk across from the two and nudging Danny with her foot. "How are his _private_ lessons with you, though, Danny dearest?"

"You are a cruel Sammy!" Danny huffed, viciously biting into his cookie. "They are completely normal tutoring sessions- Except for that one time with the History exam- Still! _Normal_."

"Oh, no, no. I want to hear more about this History exam," Sam grinned evilly, Danny whining as he tried to escape, Tucker quickly trapping him against his side. A glance over showed Andrew and his parents were caught up in their own conversation, so no help would be arriving from them. "Is this the one where you kept blushing during the whole thing? Must have been a pretty interesting memorization technique."

"Fuck you, Sammy. Fuck. You."

"Now, now, save that for your boyfriend."

::

"You _abandoned_ me," Danny complained, stomping into their bedroom in Vidya before tugging his shirt off. Kicking his pants off as well after a moment, he began digging through their shared closet. "I was left alone with Sam and Tucker and their teasing for _hours_ while you talked to my parents!"

"It couldn't have been that bad, they tease you all the time." Ugh! He wasn't even the least bit apologetic about Danny's emotional turmoil!

"It was emotionally scarring." And now he couldn't find anything to wear! Great! Might as well as just sleep in the nude for all the help the closet was being today. Amused notes tumbled through his head in response to the thought, Danny glaring up at the ceiling. "Shut up, Vidya!"

"Don't take your rage out on her," Andrew scolded, sounding like he was lecturing a child. Danny would have stomped off to one of the guest rooms to make a point if it wasn't for Andrew's arms wrapping around him and keeping him in place, lips fluttering against his neck. "Why are you so wound up, mon cher?"

"Gee, let me think. My parents are never going to let me live tonight down, my friends are sarcastic jerks who don't know when to stop, you _ignored_ me the entire night, and I'm pretty sure at least three teachers said they were still surprised I was even in school."

In truth, it was the last bit that had Danny so keyed up, even with Andrew wrapped around him. He had never been good with harsh criticism, and having teachers tear him down in front of his parents and tell them every single thing he had done wrong… Not to mention when he had tried to go talk to Andrew about it, he had been busy the entire night. "I see."

Andrew's arms curled around him further, a hand slipping down to rub at Danny's hip, fingers slipping past the waistband of his boxers. He remained strong for all of a few seconds before he was going limp and putting all of his weight in Andrew's arms, gaze going down to the ground. "I can't- I hate it when they do that. When they sum me up as some troublemaker that doesn't deserve to be in the school still because of how I was in freshman year."

"What all did they say?" Andrew's voice was soft, kisses turning into small nips and bites, a particularly sharp one at the very side of his neck causing a breathy moan to slip out of him.

"The usual. I'm a troublemaker, I don't get along with anyone but Sam and Tucker, I constantly skip classes, I'm not going to make it through highschool, and I think one handed me an application to the Nasty Burger on my way out the door."

"Are you certain they were describing the right student? Because I don't believe any of that really holds true for you." Another sharp bite had Danny arching against him before he could stop himself, baring his neck more and clutching at the arm that was wrapped around him and holding him up.

"First of all, you're not a _troublemaker_. You do happen to end up in troublesome situations, but never on purpose." Andrew's voice was soft and soothing, kisses being trailed up to his ear when the tip was given a gentle nip, Danny whining quietly at the sensation. "And you get along quite well with others, you just choose to remain close to those you know. Nothing wrong with that."

Distracted as he was by Andrew's kisses and bites, Danny didn't even realize the man's other hand was moving until he felt a fluttering touch against his member. Knees shaking, he completely relied on Andrew to keep him up as he gave a much louder moan than before. "As for skipping classes, that's only for emergencies. The Truce has been in effect for months, giving you plenty of time to catch up on your work."

Danny would have responded if it wasn't for the hand that wrapped around his hardening cock, stroking him deftly and making squirm and whine from the touches, trying to get _more_. "A-Andy."

"And assuming you're not going to complete high school is just ridiculous. After all, you have all of us helping, and we're all here to do anything you need of us." The words had become a breathy whisper, the strokes getting faster and harder, Danny shaking as he felt the building pressure behind his navel.

"Please feel free to tell me the teacher that handed you an application, as well. I'm rather certain that's against a few school rules." Andrew's words swirled around him, all meaning lost as he was pushed closer and closer to the edge.

"An- Andy, _please_." A sharp bite to his neck was paired with a last stroke, thumb swiping over the tip. Danny fell apart at once, breathing rough and shaky as he slumped in Andrew's hold, waves of pleasure washing over him.

He vaguely heard Andrew talking, but he didn't much pay much mind to the words. Although he did jolt to attention when he felt his back hit the bed, boxers being slipped off of him. "Shall I make it up to you for not being there for you tonight, mon cher?"

"I- I mean, if you want? I would not at all be-" His words were cut off with his own sharp gasp, back arching as he scrabbled at Andrew's back, all feeling focused on the tongue that was lapping at one of his nipples, teeth sliding against the skin. Even though he had only just come, it was easy to tell he was getting hard again. " _Andy_."

"I'm so sorry I wasn't able to reassure you sooner, Danny." Andrew kissed his way down Danny's chest, sucking at the spot right below his navel for a long few seconds. It had Danny withering on the bed, trying to arch closer to Andrew as his nails buried themselves in Andrew's shirt.

Panting even more heavily than before, Danny threw a hand over his mouth at the tongue he felt lapping at his cock, cleaning him up from earlier. The lips and sucking around the very tip had him muffling a scream of pleasure, other hand pulling at Andrew's shirt sharply. God he was so _sensitive_ when he was stressed or wound up.

Andrew let him go with a wet pop, Danny muffling another noise as the man grinned up at him with sharp eyes. A flash and Danny was suddenly on his stomach, Andrew pushing him up to rest on his knees before Danny felt a tongue probing at his entrance, dipping into him.

Shaking all over, a high keening sound left him as Andrew kept him from moving, licking and stretching him open bit by bit, driving him more and more wild by the second. Pushing back as best he could, Danny gave a muffled whine when it started feeling like it wasn't enough. "Andy- Andy, _please_."

"Ssh, it's alright, mon cher, I've got you." There was a nip to the globe of his right cheek, Danny squealing at the feeling before blushing brightly at Andrew's laugh.

"Shut up!" It was actually Danny who shut up, both hands going over his mouth as he felt slick fingers massage around his entrance, the tip of one sinking in. He couldn't stop his hips from rolling back if he tried, trying to get more of the feeling.

There was another quiet chuckle from Andrew, the man slowly working his fingers into Danny one by one, getting three in before pressing deeper. A brush against a particularly sensitive location had him burying his entire face against the covers, hands still tightly covering his mouth.

A quick, dizzying flip and he was on his back again, Andrew pulling Danny's hands away in order to drag him into a rough kiss, fingers easily slipping back into him and fully pressing against the spot. Danny's arms shot up to wrap around Andrew, pulling him deeper into the kiss and sinking his nails into his shirt, breathing coming out rapid and strained the moment Andrew pulled even the smallest amount back.

The fingers that had found his prostate were mercilessly teasing the spot, giving an overwhelming amount of pressure and movement before pulling back to just barely brush against it. Danny could tell he was already close again, and he certainly would have been more embarrassed if it wasn't for how _nice_ everything felt.

His bad feelings had been near forgotten at this point, Andrew's kisses covering every inch of him, "You're wonderful, mon cher, no matter what anyone else thinks. You're beautiful, smart, and more amazing than anyone I've ever met." The words were the last thing needed to send Danny over the edge again, the teen gasping and shuddering as the pleasure wracked through his body, Andrew working him through it. "Ssh, it's alright, mon cher, I'm here. I'm right here."

"A-Andy. Need you. _Please_." Because it wasn't _enough_. It was so good but it was never enough and he needed his mate he _needed_ him- His thoughts were cut through by the feeling of his legs being lifted up, Andrew hooking one behind his own shoulder and holding the other, his own clothes quickly phased off and tossed aside.

"Don't worry, my dear. I'll give you everything you need." This time, the kiss was rushed and forceful, back to being needy and all consuming, Danny near losing himself in it before he felt a hard warmth pressing into him. Whining as Andrew thrust into him in little increments, Danny clutched onto Andrew, parting from the kiss with a loud moan when Andrew fully got inside of him. "That's it, just relax."

Soothing words whispered to him had him relaxing in increments, pushing him more and more into his high. Danny's thoughts were glazed and tangled when Andrew finally pulled out near completely before thrusting back into him. The hand that wrapped around his cock and began stroking was near too much, even more so when he felt teeth on his neck and _god_ Andrew was overwhelming him in all the best ways.

He wasn't sure how the hell he was managing to get hard again, how his body was crying out for more and more, but he did nothing to argue against it, instead moving back against Andrew. At a particularly hard bite to his neck, Danny squirmed up enough to bite the tip of Andrew's ear, nails scratching against the back of the man's neck, as well.

Andrew's loud, startled moan was absolutely _gorgeous_ , Danny feeling the smug smile he had on even as Andrew shot him a pouting look, "That, my dear, was cheating."

"You've been cheat- _Ah_!" Andrew's cock thrust into him hard and fast, hitting the exact spot needed to have Danny become a moaning, begging mess. He would have at least been a bit embarrassed if it hadn't felt so good, if Andrew wasn't taking such good care of him, if he hadn't already been pushed to the edge again and again and now again and- " _Andy_."

"I know, Danny, I know." Andrew was starting to sound as wrecked as Danny felt, hand working him closer and closer to the edge, the pace near brutal. Danny could feel himself about to fall when he was roughly pinned to the bed, Andrew holding every bit of him in place as his lips mouthed the tip of his ear. "Come for me, mon cher."

This time, it was intense enough that Danny saw white, his entire mind blank and his body like air. Slowly, bit by bit, it felt like he was being put back together. First, it was the tiny, calm thrusts into him, a soothing rocking motion as they lay on their sides. The liquid seeping down his thighs and chest. The hand rubbing down his spine, pressing between the gaps and piecing him together. The hand in his hair, tilting his head towards lips that whispered quiet declarations of love and adoration in a multitude of languages.

He wasn't sure how long they were like that, calming touches starting to work them both back up, before Danny managed to speak, lips finding Andrew's. "You are _definitely_ forgiven." He was given a sharp grin in return before he was rolled over to be on his back.

"Lovely. Although I suppose it wouldn't hurt to make _certain_ of it." Danny wasn't going to be able to even _move_ tomorrow and he couldn't care one bit.

"I'm all yours, mon ange."

"Perfect."

::

Danny was tiredly resting his head on top of his arms and desk, small smile on his face as he quietly hummed under his breath. Even if he was absolutely _exhausted_ , he was in a better mood than he had been for a few weeks. Andrew's 'apology' had been _very_ well received, after all.

"Uh, Mr. Riter? I was just wondering, but, why were you so friendly with the Fentons last night? I mean, don't they usually sort of go ghost crazy?" Danny absently heard someone send a sorry his way, the teen just waving it off. It wasn't like he could really couldn't deny the words.

"Let's just say we're friends, in a way," Andrew smiled, Danny trying not to laugh at how Andrew was as cheerful and relaxed as he was.

"Sir, uh, do ghosts get tired? Cause you look like my dad after an all nighter at work." Andrew gave a quiet laugh, smile not at all leaving his face.

"Yes, ghosts do get tired. We have more energy reserves than humans, but we do need to rest every few days in order to regain that energy, or if we use too much power at once. It also happens if we get physically exhausted, or take poor care of ourselves."

"So...did you get into a fight, or something?" A few of the students seemed to piece together the more likely answer, smirks shared between them. Apparently their teacher had a _very_ good night.

"Or something," Andrew snorted, Danny letting out a laugh himself. "Lesson's almost ready to begin, any more questions?"

"There's a rumor going around that you and the Fentons were college friends who went to the same school. Is that true?" Danny watched with the rest of the class as Andrew went completely silent before loud, incredulous laughter was leaving him. It was a minute or so before he could respond, words slipping into Ghostspeak and causing the students to share strange looks.

"I'm not so sure about college classmates, but you at least got the time frame right!" At the questioning looks, he waved them off. "Rein, rein, it's nothing you need to worry about. Now, today we're going to be moving onto something your age group should actually be _learning_. Prepare to learn just why the world as a whole despises the English language."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**::**

"You know, when they told me who was subbing for me, I couldn't quite believe it." Lancer had to suppress a laugh at the startled looks he saw given to him. He had arrived back at the school just at the start of the lunch hour, and so he wasn't too surprised to find Andrew Riter and Danny Fenton in the classroom alone together. "Somehow, I shouldn't be that surprised about the matter."

"Oh, aha, look at that. The thing. I'm late for. That I need to go to." Danny didn't even get a foot towards the door before it was closing with a snap, the teen sulking and retaking his seat. "An argument could be made that you are being unbearably cruel, sir."

"I suppose it could," Lancer nodded, not letting the smile fall off of his face. "I didn't actually know your ghostly tutor had his teaching degree, however." At the looks, one startled, and one scared, the older man rolled his eyes with a smile. "Mr. Fenton, I figured things out near the end of your freshman year. You weren't that sneaky about things, when it came down to it."

"I-! Alright, so, okay, I kinda wasn't that great in the beginning when it came to keeping everything quiet," Danny admitted, small blush on his face as he scratched the back of his head. He supposed if Lancer had managed to connect Fenton and Phantom, it wouldn't be that hard to connect Ghostwriter and Andrew. "I've gotten better, at least-" He was interrupted with a quiet chuckle from his mate. "I have!"

"The only thing I _haven't_ been able to figure out is how you can appear human," Lancer looked over to Andrew, who gave a small smile.

"One of my powers. I was able to mask my ghost signature in the beginning, as well. Very helpful when his parents didn't first know about me- And to be fair, I didn't actively seek to substitute. My brother, however, decided to sign his death warrant by submitting my resume, and an application in my name. Also, the last few lessons I did with them I wrote down in your planner, so you have a record of what was covered."

"Why, thank you. That's very helpful," Lancer smiled, Danny slowly inching his way towards the door as the man headed for the desk. "Huh… I don't seem to see my sylla-"

"Oh, look at the time! Gonna be late for the thing- Bye, Mr. Lancer!" Grabbing his mate's hand, as well as their bags, Danny was quick to drag Andrew out of the classroom and down one of the empty hallways, Andrew looking more amused than anything. "So, those papers you threw out on your first day here?"

"His lesson plans for the next four weeks, and the syllabus." Sighing, the teen leaned into his mate's side, handing over the man's messenger bag. "Hardly my fault if the lessons he left were ridiculous."

"Oui, oui, because of course we all know you know best." At the raised eyebrow, Danny gave a sunny smile. "I only speak the truth, mon ange."

"Mhm, I bet. Speaking of the truth, however… How are you with him knowing your secret?" Good question, one he didn't exactly know how to answer. Thinking on it… He was already well into his junior year, and if Lancer had known that long, and hadn't told anyone else, or exposed him, well...

"I guess I'm a bit freaked out, to be honest. If he figured it out, so could others. But… He hasn't said anything so far, and he's a good teacher when you get down to it, and really does kind of care about us. So, I guess I'm doing fine with it, since I know it's not as bad as it could be, you know?"

"Rather mature of you," Andrew mused, smiling at the teen's scoff. "You can hardly say I'm wrong. Usually when talk of your secret being exposed is discussed, you get quite agitated."

"Yeah, yeah, you and your big, fancy words." Pausing for a moment, Danny lightly bit his lip, gaze trained on the linoleum floors. "So, I, ah, I guess you'll be going back to Vidya, huh?"

"Somehow, you're sounding more upset about this development than I am-"

"So you admit you're upset about the substitute job being over!" At the amused look, Danny whined as dramatically as he could, wrapping himself around the other's arm. "Andy! I'm being serious, here!"

"Of course you are, since dramatics and seriousness goes hand-in-hand with one such as yourself." Another whine. "Aw, are you going to miss me that much, mon cher?"

"Oh, shut up, nerd. I just…" Words trailing off, Danny sighed, shoulders dropping. "I guess it was nice seeing you so happy and doing what you love, and what you always wanted to do. It was just… It was nice." Blinking at the hug he was pulled into, he curiously looked up at his mate.

"I _am_ happy I was able to teach like this for the past few weeks, and it was nice, but I'll be happy just the same even if I _don't_ teach again. You know why?" A small shrug. "Because I have you, and that's worth more to me than anything else."

"See. This. Right there. This is why I say I'm _second_ best at sap. Cause of moments like these, and comments like those! That- That has to be cheating! I accuse you of cheating with that-" The rest of his rant was cut off by a sweet kiss, Danny rolling his eyes and returning it, hands wrapping around the other's shirt and pulling him closer. "You are utterly and completely ridiculous."

"So says the one who still screams 'going ghost'-"

"Rude!"

::

"Danny, seriously, you gotta stop this thing where you block the doorway," Sam sighed, pushing her friend the rest of the way inside Creative Writing. Pausing at seeing just _who_ was behind the desk, she slowly shook her head. "Every damn day with you two."

Other students slowly trickled in and settled down, the warning bell ringing before someone was brave enough to ask the question they were all thinking. "Mr. Riter? What are- I mean...are you subbing this class, too?"

" _Apparently_ , I am," Andrew sighed, looking exhausted and worn as he sorted through the papers left behind on the desk that looked like an utter wreck. "During your typical lunch hour the previous teacher for this class was found by authority figures. They seemed to have had a warrant for his arrest that spanned 48 states." A silence settled over the class, Andrew giving another sigh. "My last life seems almost _normal_ compared to this one, sometimes, I swear.

"Anyways, until a new teacher can be found for you, I was sacrificed- Apologies, _volunteered_ by one of the teachers to act as a substitute." Sam was the one to break the silence first, amused smirk on her face as she kicked her feet up on the desk.

"Let me guess, you couldn't escape?" Beside her, Danny was giving a brilliant smile, and looking overjoyed.

"I had almost made it out the door when I was caught." Half the papers that had been sorted through went into the trash bin, Andrew looking uncaring of the two binders that followed. "This class is a mess I intend to fix. Now, any other questions of shock or surprise?"

"Are you, um, qualified to even teach this class?"

"Ask my degree and multiple best selling novels," Andrew snorted, rolling the chair over to the board to grab one of the markers before rolling back to the desk, three folders being tossed into the trash. "I'm sure at least one of those can vouch for my competence."

"You have published books? Like what?" Andrew paused at that, mentally going through the books he had written.

"Let's see… There's Star Gazers, A Thousand Steps, Dirty Paws, The Soundless Clock-"

"Wait. The Soundless Clock- You mean that book Fenton hasn't shut up about since middle school?" At the shocked question, Andrew paused before shooting a happy smile over to Danny, who had groaned and was sinking down into his seat, hood pulled over his head. " _You_ wrote that?"

"Yes, I have multiple pen names. Feel free to guess them, if you wish," Andrew grinned, wicked tinge to the smile. "I'm curious to see how many you connect together. Now, your last assignment in this class was utterly terrible, and I feel no regret in saying I hope that teacher is caught and prosecuted. Honestly, who _gives_ lessons like these…"

Pausing to flick on the computer, he raised an eyebrow at the way it whined loudly before freezing on the load up screen. Sighing, and unplugging it from the wall, he pushed open a window next to the desk, shoving the computer and all out.

The class was silent for a long moment, someone finally speaking up very hesitantly, "Mr- Uh, Mr. Riter- Was that a good idea?"

"There's a dumpster below us and I am in no mood to deal with computers from the 80s _again_. Living through it once was enough of a pain." A few students shared looks at that. There was another clue that their teacher had been alive in the 80s, at least, so that definitely put him at around parent age. "Now, let's teach you lessons you'll actually want to _know_ when it comes to Creative Writing. Luckily, the last four weeks of lessons I taught in English can also tie into this class. Wonderful, no?"

Flipping the marker, Andrew gave the class another grin. "Now, open your notebooks. I'm not letting any of you leave this class until you actually _learn_ something."

::

"You're telling me the second you opened the door, they approached you with another job offer? One that might last _months_?" At the nod, Randy's smile was much wider than it should have been. "That was the best plan I have ever had in my afterlife."

"Considering most of your plans consist of you angering others and ending up lost in a sewer system somewhere? I would have to agree," Andrew hummed, absently marking things down on the planner in his lap. It was a bit of a challenge, since Danny was leaning against him, and sound asleep. His reading glasses were still on his face, as well, and the book he had been reading open in his lap.

"Fair point, I guess. Okay, but, how did petit mec take the news? Happy you get to stay, or panicked at the possibility of being discovered and so on and so on." Seeing the small smile on his brother's face, Randy raised an eyebrow. "There were sappy domestic words spoken, weren't there?"

"He was upset the job was over, because he was worried I wouldn't seem as happy. He said he found it was nice that I was able to do what I had wanted and studied for."

"Like I said," Randy snorted, standing up to rustle around for a blanket. "Sappy domestic things. Any idea how long it's going to take them to find a new teacher?" Finding a warm blue blanket stashed behind a shelf, he gave it a quick tug, catching the three books that came tumbling with it. He had learned long ago to make sure no books were harmed in Vidya due to his actions.

"Not too long, I suppose… They're a rather small district, and teaching jobs can't be easy to come by in today's economy," Andrew explained, smiling in thanks as Randy threw the blanket over Danny, putting away the teen's reading glasses and book as well. "It'll most likely be only a few more weeks I'm there."

"You're really enjoying yourself, huh?" At his brother's look, Randy grinned. "Nothing, just… He sort of has a point. You _are_ happier like this, whether you want to admit it or not."

"Yes, well… It's only for a bit longer."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salut, mes chers! I come with the gift of another major chapter update. For those who don't know yet, this is going to be eventual OT3 of Andrew/Randy/Danny. (Randy being someone who only calls Andrew brother because they grew up together. They are in no way related and know that they are not related by blood.)

**Chapter Eight**

**::**

"Good morning, Mr. Riter!" Andrew was about to respond with an absent good morning before he realized it was Danny speaking to him, the teen leaning out of Lancer's classroom where homeroom was about to start.

"Good morning…" There was a shy smile on the teen's face, and he had a small, flustered blush on his cheeks. It was very obvious his mate was up to something, Andrew just wasn't quite sure what it was he was planning.

"I, um, I had a question about our assignment yesterday in Creative Writing. Maybe I could stop by your classroom at lunch and you would be able to go over it with me?" Danny had his hands clasped together behind his back, shy smile on his face as he kept his gaze down. When he chanced a glance up, the look in his eyes was utterly _wicked_.

"Of course. I should have some time between classes to help." Students were watching at this point, and Andrew had no doubt Danny was making a scene for the simple fact he could. A look to Lancer showed the man was writing on the board for his own first period. He also looked to be fighting back laughs.

"Great." Danny gave him a beaming smile, a giggle slipping out as he took a step back. "Great. That's- Thank you, Mr. Riter." Another smile and he was escaping back to his desk, Andrew staring after him for a moment before hesitantly continuing on his way to his own classroom.

Unfortunately, it seemed Danny wasn't done with his little game. Every time Andrew ran across him in the halls, Danny was blushing and speaking shyly to him, words stuttered out as he brushed up against him before quickly escaping with his friends. It was at that point he called Randy, the man spending the first five minutes laughing at him as Andrew headed towards the teacher's lounge on his free period before lunch. "I'm so glad you find my pain hilarious."

" _Not that so much as how confused you sound over all this! You know he's probably just messing with you. Seems like his sense of humor_." It really did.

"It's also how he acted when we _first_ started spending time around each other. I honestly thought Clockwork was somehow involved in all of this and I ended up in an alternate timeline." Coffee, coffee, coffee- Ah, there it was. Cheap shit, but it was better than nothing. "He's the one who keeps saying he doesn't want to make anyone suspicious."

" _This is Danny. He's a bundle of cute contradictions, remember? He probably just wants to have a little fun with this while he can. Like you said, this teaching job isn't for long._ "

"Maybe." Taking a sip of the coffee, Andrew made a face and set it back down. There was a laugh from one of the teachers beside him. Grover, if he wasn't mistaken.

"Tastes like shit, right?" Ah, a kindred spirit.

"Remarkably so." Adjusting his phone, Andrew opened a few packets of sweetener with his teeth and one hand. Maybe he could find a way to make it drinkable. "I'll talk to you later, Randy."

" _Alright. Stay strong, Andy. Don't let your favorite student seduce you_ -" Andrew ended the call with a flick, shoving his phone away with a huff. Honestly.

"So, Andrew. I noticed that you seemed to have your first student crush." Oh, it could not be that obvious. Judging by Grover's expression, however, it very much was and oh, look at that. Others were listening in. Lunch must have started with how many teachers were in the room. "Danny Fenton, right?"

"I, ah… What?" There was a slap to his back, Andrew withholding a wince. That Tetslaff woman really was dangerous.

"Student crush! Happens a lot with you young teachers. Students think they have a chance and get puppy crushes, trailing after you and trying to get your attention. That Fenton kid looks far gone, from what I saw."

"I think it's cute," Petricoff giggled, hand over her mouth. "Obviously nothing will ever happen between the two of them-" Oh, Andrew almost started laughing. Lancer didn't look to be much better, the man hiding in the corner and trying to stop his own laughter. "-but it's nice to let them pretend for a little while. It'll fade in a few weeks, Andrew."

"While that all sounds flattering, I'd rather not discuss the idea of students having romantic feelings towards me." For a variety of reasons, really. Granted there was only a five year age difference between himself and Danny, but at their ages, that was enough to cause a few raised eyebrows.

"Don't worry about it, happens to all of us," Tetslaff assured, Andrew sighing and taking his coffee cup before heading towards the door. "Just wait til Valentine's Day!"

Shutting the door with a snap, it did nothing to stop the laughter he heard coming from the others. "And here I thought hazing was frowned upon by teachers."

"Not with them." Andrew did not jump. Or make any strange noises. No matter what Danny's laughter was telling him. "Relax, it's just me."

"Your words contradict each other," Andrew tapped Danny's nose, fighting against a smile at Danny's giggle. "I can never relax while you're around. Lunch started?"

"Yup. Figured you'd be searching for coffee like a dying man searches for water in the desert." Snorting, Andrew nudged Danny along towards the Creative Writing classroom.

"A delightful metaphor." Feeling a tug to his cup, Andrew relented and watched as Danny took a sip before gagging. "And that's after half a dozen packs of sweetener."

"I feel so sorry for you guys." Danny shoved the cup back, bouncing into the classroom and automatically starting to shelve the spare books left out around the room. Probably a habit from so much time spent at Vidya.

"Mm. Feel like telling me what's been with your behavior today?" At the innocent look, Andrew shook his head and went to sit down, opening the binder of lesson plans he had. He would need to take time to plan more out than just the next two weeks, otherwise he would get even more behind.

"Alright, so I see where my actions could come across as immature, but consider this." Danny near danced across the room, sitting himself down on a corner of Andrew's desk. "It was hilarious."

"The entire school thinks you have a crush on me. Isn't that something we were supposed to be avoiding?"

"No, no, this is great! Because everyone knows you're completely gone over Phantom and you two are totally together, so seeing me having a silly little puppy crush reinforces the fact that we don't know each other. Perfect!"

Staring up at Danny, Andrew slowly hid his face in his hands, incredulous laugh slipping out before he could stop himself, "Mon cher, the way your mind works is utterly _fascinating_." Andrew wasn't sure if this was a terrible idea or a somewhat plausible one.

"I choose to take that as a compliment." Danny shuffled some of the papers together, taking another sip of Andrew's coffee with much the same reaction as before.

"You don't have any sort of impulse control, do you?" Searching around his pockets for a moment, Andrew pulled out a few cookies and set them next to Danny, unwrapping one for himself.

Danny was about to respond, own cookie halfway to his mouth, before there was a knock on the door that had both looking over. "There you are, Andrew. Oh… Danny as well."

"Hi, Mrs. Petricoff." Oh, Andrew did not like that judging look the woman had aimed towards him. Danny seemed to notice it, since he slid off of Andrew's desk and headed for the door. "You know, I think I remember Sam and Tuck wanted to talk to me about something. See you, Mr. Riter."

As soon as Danny was out the door, Petricoff shot Andrew a 'concerned' look, "You know, Andrew, maybe it would be best if you didn't encourage him like that. Eating lunch with him alone, well… He could certainly get the wrong idea."

"I was helping him with a problem he had with yesterday's assignment." Best to stick with the excuse Danny had given, if only so no lies got mixed up. "They're high schoolers, not children. They can clearly tell the differences between their feelings and how to act responsibly." Oh that was such a lie it almost hurt him.

"Yes, well… It's admirable you're trying to show the students they're 'special', but it's also highly inappropriate. He might think you're encouraging him, and we can't have that." The condescending attitude was getting to Andrew more than he wanted, especially considering what Danny had told him of parent teacher conferences.

"Good." He wasn't quite sure what had her looking startled, his response, or his raised voice. "Judging by what he shared with me of his parent teacher conferences, it's about time _someone_ gave a damn about him! Apparently not only was he criticised by three separate teachers for circumstances out of his control _years_ ago, but one of them handed him an application to _the Nasty Burger_. God forbid I try to make a student feel like they're worth something besides the failure _you_ all make them out to be!"

By the time Andrew's last class of the day rolled around, near the entire school believed Danny Fenton to be in love with him, and that Andrew returned his feelings.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**::**

"So, let me get this straight." Randy was working on opening a paint can, sitting on the floor in Andrew's classroom on a Saturday afternoon. "The entire school thinks you're dating because you had the urge to defend his honor?"

"Essentially," Andrew sighed, lying down painting tarp over the room. Danny had convinced them that the Creative Writing classroom needed a desperate overhaul, dragging the two of them there on a weekend when the school was relatively empty. The room was covered in tarps, painting cans, and unassembled bookshelves. "I became a bit carried away, I suppose."

"Petricoff called my parents," Danny laughed, transformed into Phantom so he could more easily spread primer onto the walls of the classroom. "Tried to warn them that someone at the school had 'dangerous intentions' towards me. When they heard your name brought up, Mom laughed and hung up the phone."

"I wondered why she was so amused when I saw her this morning." Shaking his head, Randy hid a laugh as he finally got the lid off. Staring down at it quietly, Randy stood up and dusted his hands off.

"Petit mec?" Waiting until Danny was hovering over his shoulder, Randy gestured down at the paint can. "You said this was supposed to be a lavender that looked closer to white, right?"

"Yea- Oh." Instead of a light lavender, a dark purple was in the paint can, reminding Randy of Vidya, Andrew, and quiet days spent with books. "I think I grabbed the wrong color. Andy, you asked them if it was okay to paint the walls, right?"

"Not in so many words, no." Andrew continued putting the tarp down, looking rather unconcerned. "You two do realize I could shift reality to make the room look different, oui?"

"But it's such good bonding time." With Danny's pout, Randy knew right away that they were going to be working on the room all day. Shaking his head, he sat back down and went to opening the other paint cans, Danny grabbing the first one and going to start on the primed wall.

Andrew wandered over at one point, crouched down and watching Randy work. Well, less that and more lost in his thoughts. "You know, I believe you managed to find something _more_ boring than watching paint dry. And that's watching someone _open_ paint."

"Do you ever think about how different things are?" Blinking, Randy looked up at his brother, frowning as he only looked up with a calm expression. "Our lives used to revolve around killing, and now we're painting a school classroom."

"I guess I don't think about it much." Getting the can open, Randy moved it aside before pulling another one over, carefully working around the edges. "There's not much use in thinking on where we came from, and I'd rather focus on the good in our lives now, then the bad we had."

"It's just… It's amazing, isn't it?" Looking up again, he saw Andrew had on a soft, happy smile. One that Randy had been seeing more and more since Danny crashed into their lives. "How far we've come. It's… We finally found our home."

"It should be pretty common sense that you don't make someone cry when they're opening paint cans," Randy muttered, lips twitching as he felt Andrew move to hug his shoulders, completely relaxed and open. "I don't think I've seen you this happy in years."

"What don't I have to be happy about? I have Danny in my life, I'm doing what I love, and you're here." That had Randy's actions trailing to a stop, looking down at Andrew to see he was looking up at him with a weak smile. "I missed seeing you all the time."

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm starting to think this is better than always going off on my own." He had reasons, in the past. Trying to keep Andrew away from danger. Unable to resist jumping into adventures and putting his life on the line. Wanting to protect the one person left in his life that mattered. Lately his reasons… They had changed. "I don't think you have to worry about me leaving anymore."

"Good." Andrew hugged him tighter for a moment before nuzzling at his cheek. Randy watched him stand up and take one of the paint cans, heading to the other wall. Looking back down to the paint can he was opening, he couldn't stop the smile on his face.

For so long it had been him and Andrew, brothers in only name because what else could they be in a place that was designed to make them soldiers. Lost children who found each other in a hell. They had been through so much together, and Randy had been the one to distance them. Afraid that Andrew wouldn't get his second chance when Randy always dragged him down. It was meant to be atonement, but maybe…

Maybe he was done paying for his sins. Getting the last paint can open, Randy sat back and leaned against the desk, watching the room. Fall had arrived and red, gold, and brown leaves were fluttering past the window. The wind tore past branches, wreaking havoc with the shadows of the room and weaving with warm sunlight that drifted in through open windows.

It was so calm, and peaceful, and Randy never thought he'd have a moment like this in his life. Maybe his death really had been a second chance. "Something on your mind?" Danny sat in front of him now, ghostly tail curled around him, and splatters of purple paint near completely covering him.

Reaching out, Randy pushed Danny's hair back from where it was in his eyes, voice soft and quiet. "Not really." This hero-complexed brat had managed to save them both, really, hadn't he? "Wanna help me with the other wall? Maybe not get paint everywhere?"

"Good plan," Danny nodded, flying up and grabbing the bucket. "And you know, this color looks pretty good on the walls."

"Yeah… Yeah, it does."

::

"Sir? Did you decorate in here? And paint the walls? Are you even allowed to paint the walls?" Smile twitching on his lips, Andrew began writing on the dry erase board with a brilliant purple marker. It had taken near all of Saturday, but the three of them had gotten the classroom looking like an office room out of Vidya more than anything.

"Well, they never told me I couldn't." Plus there were no rules against it, and everything had come out of his personal budget. At this point, he figured the school wouldn't even care as long as he kept teaching the students.

"It looks like part of a library. I mean, perfect for Creative Writing." Glad to see the students had noticed. Andrew had even stocked the shelves with books that would help in the coursework, making sure to include books with levels for all four years. "How did you get it all done so quickly?"

"Phantom and my brother helped. Well, Phantom was the one who thought the classroom needed a makeover, and Randy was coerced into helping." Mostly Danny had just pouted until Randy caved, which always worked wonders.

"Alright, notebooks open," Andrew capped the marker, turning around to his class. "Today's lesson is about seeing how well you can string your paragraphs together, instead of those disjointed messes I'm so often seeing in this school's work. Remember, this is Creative Writing, not an English essay."

Danny gave a grin from where he was near the front of the class, speaking up. "So try to make it sound like something someone would actually _want_ to read, instead of something you're forced to do?"

"Precisely." Andrew wasn't sure how long he'd be here, but he could at least do his best to make the most of every day he could.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

**::**

The first thing Danny became aware of when waking up was that everything felt raw. Like the feeling of his skin when spending too long in the snow without a coat, or too long in a shower with the hot water blasting out. Scrubbed free of layers, and left with nothing but a raw feeling that hurt.

The second thing he became aware of was that the lights were far too bright - even with the early morning light still streaming in balefully, it _burned_. Like daggers to his already pounding head. Sounds, too, seemed amplified. He could hear everything, from his dad walking around the upstairs, to his mom cooking in the kitchen while humming.

The third thing he became aware of was that it _hurt_.

Everything was simply _too much_. It hurt for the rough blanket to come into contact with his skin, the sounds were loud and piercing, the light was _burning_ his eyes, and the smells of the slowly cooking breakfast had his stomach roiling in nausea. Everything was overwhelming, and it had him wishing he could curl back up for more sleep, or at least hide away in the Ghost Zone.

As it was, he finally crawled out of bed after hearing someone yell for him to get up, the sound louder than it should have been. Digging through his closet, and frowning at how every article of clothing seemed to rub against his skin like sandpaper, he finally jerked on an old pair of slacks, and one of Andrew's old shirts. Hesitantly wrapping the gray scarf his mate had given him around his neck, it was a near sigh of _relief_ when it didn't burn, or hurt.

Getting through breakfast and trying to stomach food was an ordeal, he realized. Getting outside and having the wind hit him was just goddamn torture. "Right. Bad day, then."

He made it all the way through third period before he was finding the quietest place he could, shoulders shaking, jacket hood pulled over his head, and tears in his eyes. He wasn't all that surprised, really, when he found himself curled up in the library, bag beside him and hands over his ears. Even with blocking out as much noise as he could, the sound of his hitching and trembling breath felt like spikes to his head.

Caught up in trying to calm himself down, he wasn't sure how long it had been before he heard someone take a seat beside him, a comfortable distance keeping the other person from touching any part of him. The sound of a paper bag rustling made him glance up, frowning at seeing the lunch bag that was in front of him.

"Contrary to what you seem to believe sometimes, you do need to eat." The voice was soft and quiet, easy on his ears. "And do resist the urge to turn that into a tasteless joke or pun."

"Take the fun out of it." Trying to make his own voice soft could only do so much. While Andrew's didn't hurt, his own did. That and the currents of electricity that he could _hear_ and it was so _bright_. Screwing his eyes shut, he only opened them when it was dark and quiet, Danny peeking his gaze over to Andrew.

"I was never told to not use my powers while employed." The library lights were now completely out, nothing to give light but Andrew's soft, steady aura. Leaning forward, Andrew picked the bag up and set it down a little closer to Danny. "Try to eat something?"

"I… Yeah. Yeah. No promises on finishing it, though." Picking through the food, Danny managed a few bites of a sandwich, not risking the chips. The wrapped cookie had him weakly smiling, phasing the cellophane off and taking a bite before he then hesitantly leaned against Andrew's side. He couldn't stop his sigh of relief when the touch didn't hurt or even irritate him.

"You didn't tell me the attacks had come back." Not long after Danny had gotten his powers, he would have bursts of sensory attacks. The working theory was that it was his human body trying to cope with the ghost senses, which were dozens of times better. Even Vlad had told him of his own attacks when Danny had brought it up.

"I didn't know. I've only had a small one in the last few months." He had honestly thought that the attacks had stopped, but that proved to be wrong with this one. "This is the worst one since last year, and I thought they might be gone." A burst of sound from somewhere in the library had Danny pressing himself up against Andrew's side, quiet whimper leaving.

"I suppose we weren't that lucky, were we?" Andrew carefully pulled him into his lap, kissing his cheek. Danny easily relaxed into the grip, eyes closing as he let out a tired hum of agreement. It wouldn't be so bad if he was at home with Vidya and Randy and Andrew and in the Ghost Zone in general- Even being in his ghost form helped make the attacks easier. As it was, however, he was stuck human, and in school. He didn't want that.

"What are the chances of me escaping and making it out of here?" Because it wouldn't be the first time he had cut school - or the last - and his friends knew the routine of collecting any homework for him by this point. They would probably pass it off to Andrew, if he did skip.

"I would have to say rather good." Pausing, Danny looked up to Andrew with a look that probably deserved the raised eyebrow. "What?"

"Mr _. Riter_. I can't believe you, as a _teacher_ of this school, are _encouraging_ a student to skip. Really, it's almost _shameful_ ," Danny shook his head, hand held dramatically to his chest. "Don't you _care_ about the students?"

"You couldn't resist, could you?" Laughing quietly, Danny gave a shake of his head before leaning back against Andrew's chest.

"Not one bit." Feeling the sigh that ruffled his hair, Danny felt himself smiling softly. "So, can I be sure that you won't rat me out to the nearest human authority figure? Or, you know, you _could_ give me detention now for _daring_ to skip school. An afternoon totally alone with no one but the mysterious young teacher-" The rest of his words were cut off by a hand over his mouth, Danny grinning widely.

"You rather enjoy testing limits, don't you?" At the nod, Andrew rolled his eyes. "Go ahead and go home, mon cher. I'll contact the office and tell them you were called home on a family emergency after third period and simply forgot to tell anyone."

"You are the best mate, and I love you dearly, and I'm glad you put up with my _wonderful_ humor." Clutching at the ball of cold in his chest, Danny sighed as it washed over him in waves, clearing his senses for a short time. Long enough for him to make it to Vidya, at the least. Leaning up, he gave his mate a sweet kiss. "Je t'aime, mon ange."

The kiss was easily returned, a low chuckle accompanying it as arms wrapped around him, "Je t'aime aussi, mon cher."

::

"Okay. I'm pretty sure Andy banned you from ever visiting my lair again. Something about how it's 'a death trap' and 'not safe' and 'did you add spikes to the walls-'"

"Yes, but Andrew is still at school teaching, and I am being a disobedient punk and skipping. And you weren't at Vidya. And the silence hurt." Danny watched as Randy opened his mouth only to pause and close it, eyeing him over.

"Sensory overload?" Giving a weak nod, Danny watched Randy open his arms with a smile. He didn't even wait a second before launching himself into Randy's arms, wrapping around him tightly and burrowing close. "I'm honored that I was the one tracked down to be used as an oversized plush toy, then. You didn't go to Vidya?"

"Everything kept _hurting_." Danny curled closer, the arms around him calming him down slowly. He relaxed a bit more when he felt an arm shift to wrap around his waist, another going to bury itself in his hair. "The silence was loud and the lions were rough and Vidya's notes were so high and I…"

"I get it," Randy spoke quietly, fingertips massaging at Danny's scalp. It felt so _nice_ , the tension draining out of him as he relaxed in the man's arms. "I hope you know I'm never letting you go now. I'm kidnapping you for forever."

Pausing, Danny blinked and pulled back just enough to see Randy's grin. His own lips twitching up, Danny shook his head. "For forever-"

"For forever, yes! You will be my cute and adorable captive." As Randy explained his 'evil plan', he began walking down one of the stone hallways of his lair, a large stone castle that fit him perfectly. Settling down, Danny was perfectly content to be carried around and doted on.

"For some reason, I don't think your brother would like that plan very much." Then again, Andrew would probably just give Randy one look before the older caved and gave him whatever he wanted.

"I'm fine with sharing." Both went quiet, pulling back to look at each other. Randy finally hummed, lips twitching. "I'm realizing I could have phrased that better."

"You probably could have," Danny laughed, shifting back to rest against Randy's chest. "Although, I mean, you two _are_ good at sharing-"

"Oh, look. It's an excuse to get you to stop talking." Laughing, Danny obligingly fell silent, letting his eyes close as well. When he felt Randy sit down, Danny shifted to be completely curled up in his lap, eyes slitting open to see they were in a library. "Still weird to think that _you_ have your own personal library."

"Hey, Andy isn't the only one that likes to read," Randy complained, tugging on Danny's ear. The action only served to make Danny shiver, a quiet purr in the back of his throat. "Who do you think _taught_ Andy how to read? All that happened is that he went towards fantasy and poetry and I went towards mathematics and trashy romance."

"I've been meaning to ask about that, just how _good_ are you at math?" A flick of Randy's hand and the man had teleported a notebook and pencil over, settling down to where he could comfortably write with Danny in his lap.

"Say I wanted to run the calculations on how to have my gun shoot a bullet that ricochets off a wall and hits the target I need." Danny's skeptical look must have shown, since Randy raised an eyebrow back at him. "Okay, demonstration first, then. Pick a wall and a spot you want hit."

"Alright… That wall, and the target is…" Trailing off, Danny looked around the room for a moment. "The candle on that desk."

"Always have to be difficult." Danny blinked as Randy's arms moved up around him, one of his guns out and being aimed with both his hands. "Usually I can shoot one handed, but with ricochet shots, the aim has to be a lot more precise."

Nodding, Danny frowned as he noticed Randy had paused again, "I can try to quiet the gun as best I can, but you might want to cover you ears, still." Doing as told, he watched the bullet be fired, a streak of white - Randy's power encasing the bullet - hitting the wall at a perfect angle to ricochet off and hit the candle across the room, snapping it in two.

"I am never again doubting your shooting skills." Because that had been _incredible_. "Okay, but, wait. What does that have to do with mathematics?" Holstering his gun, Randy picked the notebook back up, scribbling down a string of numbers and equations Danny tried to follow.

"Before I shoot with shots like that, and most of them in general, I have to figure out the angle I need to fire, predict the path it's going to take, and where it's going to hit. To do that I use these sets of equations to help with things like distance, speed, wind, and yadda yadda."

"You… You can do all that in your head within seconds?" Randy gave an amused nod, Danny near gaping at him. "I am so impressed right now I don't have _words_ for how impressed I am."

"I am indeed impressive. Now, pay attention while I walk you through it."

::

"Is it sad that I knew not to even bother checking Vidya, first?" Stirring at the sound of his mate, Danny yawned and poked his head up from where he was half-asleep in Randy's lap, surrounded by blankets. Randy was dozing himself, hand buried in Danny's hair and other arm tightly wrapped around his waist.

"I guess you just know me too well," Danny grinned, settling back down in Randy's lap and laughing as Andrew sighed dramatically before flying over to sit beside them. "He was showing me his awesome math skills."

"He showed off the ricochet shots, didn't he?" Andrew didn't seem one bit surprised at Danny's nod, only rolling his eyes. "Always favors showing that one off.

"You know, I _am_ awake." Randy's voice was groggy and about an octave lower than it usually was. Shame he couldn't sound like that more often. "To an extent."

"Nothing he's saying is wrong, though." Waiting until Andrew was sitting beside them, Danny went about rearranging himself until he was across both their laps. "You know, if you came to get me, that's going to end badly considering I've been kidnapped for forever."

Andrew slowly raised a single eyebrow, looking to Randy expectantly. Danny couldn't resist laughing as Randy drew him into a hug and curled around him. Andrew shook his head, scratching at Danny's tail and oh that felt so _nice_. "You're not kidnapping him 'for forever', Randy. He does need to go home eventually."

"I'm just saying, if you really loved me, you would share him." Biting his lip to hold in another laugh, Danny failed when he saw the mischievous look on Andrew's face. "No- No. Joking."

"We _are_ so good at sharing though, grand frère." There was a silence where Randy narrowed his eyes at Andrew before floating up and dropping Danny into Andrew's lap before leaving the room. That was when Danny broke and buried his laughter against Andrew's chest. "Well it's not like I'm wrong. Feeling better?"

"After that? Kinda hard not to be." A few giggles still escaped as Andrew ran a hand through Danny's hair, the teen tilting his head into the touch at once. "Best way to recover, find a Riter and cuddle."

"We were once feared and deadly assassins!" Randy's voice echoed from somewhere in the library, Andrew snorting softly. "The terrors of France! The unholy Priest and his wild wolf!"

"Oh, you were _his_ , were you?" A loud groan from Randy had Danny covering his mouth with a hand, Andrew hiding his face against Danny's hair. "You know-"

"What's that? Lunch? Sure, I'll go make us some right now."

"It's too much fun teasing him," Danny cuddled back up to Andrew, kissing at his cheek. "We're staying for lunch, yeah?"

"Mon cher, Randy is the one cooking," Andrew made a soft tsk, bundling him close and kissing his temple. "Of course we're staying."

"Just checking." And alright, being a half ghost may have sucked sometimes, but at least he had amazing people like Randy and Andrew in his life to help him out.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

**::**

"Sir? Where did you live before Amity Park?" Andrew paused from where he was writing the day's lesson on the board for his last class of the day. Of course it was Danny's class, the one that always seemed to ask these sorts of questions.

"Well, I never actually lived in Amity Park, per se." Hm, perhaps he should split this lesson over two days, for this class. A few of them were a bit behind in the subject material, and taking more time to explain it would help in the long run… "Amity Park just so happens to be where the Ghost Zone connects with the portal the Fentons built."

"That Ghost Zone place, then, that's where you live? With the other ghosts?" Ah, Andrew was having flashbacks to when he first started teaching Danny about the Ghost Zone. The teen had been so confused, back then.

"Yes, although we each have our own place of residence. Mine happens to be a library that serves as my lair." He chose to believe the poorly concealed laughs actually were coughs. "I haven't had much reason to come out into the human world until, well. Until Phantom, actually." Even when the portal had opened and everyone had been flocking to the human world, Andrew had never much cared. Not until a silly little half ghost had appeared.

"But where did you live _before_ the Ghost Zone? Like, when you were alive?" Tightening his grip on his marker for a second, Andrew did his best to not think of crows or church bells or the droning words that were always the same. Mercy was for the weak.

"An orphanage." There were a few mutters at that, Andrew doing his best to not look back at Danny. He failed rather quickly, hiding the action by turning to get a paper off his desk. The sad expression on his mate's face wasn't exactly unexpected. "When I was a little under four I was moved to… A group home, we'll say."

"With your brother, right?" Lips twitching, Andrew gave a nod as he capped his marker and where was that outline for the day… He had a few prompts he wanted to start them out on to get them used to thinking outside of their current points of view.

"Alright, final questions, since I know you all are too curious for your own good." Amity Park in a nutshell, really.

"What state did you live in?"

"France." _That_ certainly got a reaction, multiple people sitting up and some of the girls looking a little too eager to hear more. High schoolers, honestly. "Yes, I'm from France, yes I was born there, although I did move to England shortly after I was ten. I also speak fluent French, before you ask."

"But how _good_ do you speak French?" Had his English lessons taught them nothing, really? It was one simple little- It didn't take much to remember the right way to phrase a sentence!

" _Apparently, much better than you speak English._ " From the front row, Danny gave a loud bark of laughter, quickly covering his mouth and blushing at the various looks from others. " _I thought that was rather amusing myself, thank you._ " It was so delightful to see Danny blush even brighter and look down at his desk shyly. Andrew wasn't sure whether that was part of Danny's 'act', but it was delightful to watch all the same. "Now, if we could return to Creative Writing."

Gathering a stack of papers, Andrew set them down on Danny's desk with a soft smile, "Mr. Fenton, kindly pass these out?" This would certainly help fuel Danny's 'rumors'. And Andrew would admit that seeing Danny quickly gather the papers and near slip on the floor was far too amusing.

"So, wait, if you lived in France and England, how come you don't have that much of an accent?"

"Because it's been twenty years since I died and I've only been around American ghosts," Andrew waved off, returning to the board and giving Danny another smile as he returned to his seat. Poor thing near tripped over his desk. "I also lived in America for, oh, let's see… Five years or so, I believe, before I died. Now, please look at the list of prompts you've been given. The first few I'll give you ideas and examples on how to do, the rest I want you to try doing yourself."

The rest of the lesson passed by rather smoothly, the bell ringing and cutting Andrew off in the middle of his sentence. Shooting a rather rude look to the ceiling, Andrew capped his marker again, "Alright, pick one prompt from the list and do a short story based around it. Five hundred words minimum and due by the end of the week. If you have any questions or need any help, I have free time in third period. Off you go. Oh, and Mr. Fenton? If you could stay after for a moment, please?"

There were snickers and mutters from other students as they left, Danny blushing a bright red as he stared at the ground. As soon as the last student was out and the door closed, Danny was glaring up at Andrew. He was still blushing, however. " _Andy_."

"Désolé, désolé," Andrew laughed, wrapping his arms around Danny and kissing at his cheek. "It was far too tempting. Besides, I thought you wanted help in making everyone think you had a 'student crush' on me?"

"That doesn't mean you're supposed to flirt _back_ ," Danny whined, burying his face against Andrew's chest. "Now people are going to think you're having an affair with Phantom on _me_ \- Oh my god. I'll be a homewrecker."

"I don't think even the rumors at this school can get that out of hand, mon cher." Andrew tugged Danny closer, covering him with fluttering little kisses that eventually had the teen giving a smile. "Besides, you can't exactly be the homewrecker of your own relationship. Not in that context, at least."

"The point stands, the school already thinks you're starting to return my feelings- Holy shit. I seduced the substitute teacher." It wasn't the words that had Andrew laughing so much as how they were were spoken in a quiet, shocked tone. "Wha- Hey! If we had never met I would have seduced you still! I mean, I seduced you as my tutor-"

"Please stop using the word seduced. That is not- You did not seduce me." Scooping Danny up, Andrew gently set him down on his desk before standing between the teen's legs and pulling him into a deep kiss, making sure to thoroughly fluster him before parting just a small amount. "If anything, my love, I believe I was the one who seduced _you_."

"You're French, it doesn't count." Danny's blush was slowly fading, replaced by a smirk and a wicked spark in his eyes as he dragged Andrew back down for another kiss, this time taking a much more active role than before. "You know, _Mr. Riter_ , this is rather inappropriate. Why, anyone could walk in on us right now…"

"Locked the door," Andrew mumbled, hand going to the back of Danny's head to pull him in closer again, vaguely feeling the teen's legs wrap around his waist. "Home. We should-"

"Definitely."

::

"You flirted with him in front of the entire class?" Scoffing, Andrew waved off Randy's question with a sharp jab of a pen in his direction.

"I did not _flirt_ with one of my students. I merely…" Well… There might have been a bit of flirting involved. Randy seemed to have guessed as much, what with the grin he shot him. "Hush, you."

"What I find most amusing is that if this is how you two met, things would have gone the same way. You staying late to tutor the troubled junior. Long nights in the library after school, stolen meetings in the classroom during lunch, heated looks while-"

" _Randall_." Andrew's outrage was nearly drowned out from Danny's laughter in the other room, the teen sounding like he was falling off the couch he had been working on. "Honestly, you're as bad as he is!"

"Please, he wishes he was as bad as me." A sudden spoon was held in front of Andrew, the man holding out for all of a moment before opening his mouth and letting Randy test whatever his latest concoction was.

Savoring the taste for a moment, Andrew gave a nod, "Perhaps a touch more of that last spice you used?"

"And this is why you're my taste tester. You give constructive criticism instead of just inhaling everything like _some_ people." The glare shot to the 'living room' had little effect, Andrew able to hear Danny vaguely whining about Randy's food being 'too good to even exist'. "How is your new career going, then?"

"It's…" Paperwork was scattered all around him in a mess, as well as countless teaching books and binders. He could feel the lingering edges of a headache he'd been dealing with since fourth period, he was utterly exhausted, and he was rather certain he was running on nothing but spite and bitterness. "I love it."

"You know, you could ask if you could become a full time teacher," Randy pointed out, hoisting himself up on the table, bare foot skipping against Andrew's leg for a moment. "You have all your credentials."

"I highly doubt they'll let a ghost become a full time teacher." Tugging on Randy's pant leg, the man couldn't help a chuckle at the small little poke to his stomach he got.

"We could get them on discrimination charges. I know for a fact that's against union rules. Probably." Honestly.

"It's fine, Randy. I'm enjoying myself, but I know it won't last forever." Good things never did, before Danny had come into his life and Randy had decided to finally stay. This was enough, for him. It… It was fine.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

**::**

"Really?" The surprise on Andrew's face was getting more amusing the longer Danny watched him. "This is Creative Writing and yet you haven't been given a single assignment on ghosts? In _this_ town?" Well, when he phrased it like that, it did sound a little ridiculous.

"We didn't really get assignments in this class before you took it over," Mikey had his hand half raised, sounding rather put out about the matter. "We just were given prompts and told to write something for it. He didn't even grade them."

The look of disgust on Andrew's face was amazing, and it was possible Danny sneaked a quick picture before sending it off to Randy. "Yes, well, that ends now. Our newest assignment is going to be a short piece on a ghost of your choosing. I want 700 words this time around. First person narrative about how they've made an impact on your life- No, you may not use third person. While the omniscient narrator is all well and good, sometimes being able to think from a first person point of view can help you understand what you characters are thinking and feeling."

As he spoke, Andrew wrote the assignment out on the board quickly and neatly, pausing to doodle a little cartoon ghost next to the prompt. Danny used the word doodle rather lightly, as the ghost looked rather odd and lopsided. "Sir?" Beside him, Sam was raising her hand, grinning unrepentantly. "You can't draw for shit."

"Yes, well, my brother was always better at this sort of thing." Oh, yeah. Danny had forgotten that Randy sketched and drew a lot. Hm. Danny would have to find some of his sketchbooks, later. "Now, as I was saying, the impact they made on your life can be roughly anything. It can be about you realizing how ghosts are real, whether in a positive light, or a negative one. Admiring one, fearing one, being curious of one. Anything goes as long as it made an _impact_."

Danny couldn't stop his grin if he tried, and he really did this time. It was just… Andrew getting wrapped up in his teaching and looking so passionate was… It was wonderful. Seeing him so happy and free. "The piece itself can be done in prose, poetry, even as a spoken word if you wish. If you choose the latter, I will accept a minimum of 400 words, but only if you perform it for the class." Chancing a glance at Sam, Danny saw her already writing down ideas with a sharp smile. Spoken word, then.

"Before you ask, I don't count as one of the subjects, so don't bother trying. I'm also saying right now that Phantom doesn't count as a subject either." Beside him, Sam growled and ripped up her paper, balling it and throwing it over her shoulder. Danny noticed Andrew did his best to not laugh, especially since other students had similar reactions. "You honestly think I would make it that easy on you? Take note that every assignment I give to you will be harder than the last. I advise you to adjust quickly to it. Any questions?"

"What if we've never interacted with a ghost, though?" In Amity Park? Danny didn't believe that for a moment.

"Two and a half years ago you had a school counselor by the name of Penelope Spectra. I was told she often made students feel drained and empty after meetings. That was due to her being a ghost. Her powers rely on keeping her young by feeding on the despair and bringing up the worst emotions and memories in a person. Everyone in this school has interacted with her based on the files, so you all have a ghost to base it off of right there. Although it doesn't have to be a ghost you've interacted with personally, just one you've seen on the news or in town.

"If you have any questions on ghosts in general, you can feel free to ask me, or even the Fentons, if that would make you more comfortable. I believe they have business and lab hours in the evenings from four to seven." Pft. Technically they did, but only very rarely did anyone show up to ask about ghosts. "And do try to keep your subject true to their beliefs. For example, Johnny 13 isn't going to go around singing and playing the guitar, and Ember McLain isn't going to be flying around and screaming about being a great hunter."

The mental image of that had Danny smothering his face in his hands, trying to stay quiet. He couldn't believe- Well, he could but- Just the very _idea_. Oh, man, now he was picturing Ember in a robot suit and Johnny wearing Ember's crop top. Fumbling for his phone again, he quickly typed out a message. ' _Okay but Ember in a robo suit and Johnny in a crop top._ '

It took another minute before a response came through, Danny able to perfectly picture Randy's amused but confused voice. ' _What the hell are you all studying today? Andy did not just say to picture Johnny in a crop top._ '

' _In a roundabout way he sort of did I guess? And we're about to do an assignment on ghosts 700 words and how they made an impact on our life first person._ '

' _Not taking it easy on you guys, is he?_ ' Danny snorted to himself at that, shaking his head. Andrew was a sweet and loving mate, but he was completely brutal when it came to education. ' _Know who you're gonna do yet?_ '

' _Not sure. He banned himself and Phantom to make it harder on us. Sam was pretty pissed about the second one. Might do him just to spite him._ '

' _Or. Or or or. I'm just saying here. You could do me. Randy. The most wonderful caring bestest big brother to ever grace either of the worlds._ '

' _And so humble too!_ ' It wouldn't be a bad idea, really. Andrew hadn't said no to writing about his brother, after all. And while ghosts had made a huge impact on his life, Andrew and Randy had certainly made some of the biggest. Well, at least, positively they had. ' _I'll think about it. Now bribe me._ '

' _I'll cook dinner._ ' Eh. Randy could do better than that, surely. ' _Brownies._ '

' _I'm listening. Closely._ ' Because Randy's brownies were as good as Andrew's cookies and Danny would probably sell part of his soul to get Randy to make them more. ' _Extra chocolate?_ '

' _Is there any other way?_ ' There wasn't. ' _How has Andy not caught you texting, yet? He gets pissy when you do this during your tutoring sessions._ ' Good question. Glancing up, Danny saw half the class was staring at him, and Andrew was- Ow. Okay. It wasn't an annoyed or amused look so much as one that was _disappointed_.

' _Just checked. Busted. Also. Andy? He used The Look._ '

' _Good luck in that case, petit mec. I'll make extra brownies to try and win him over._ '

"Ready to pay attention to the lesson now, Mr. Fenton?" Oh, that was low. That was low and Andrew knew that. If that was how he wanted to play it, though, then fine. Danny could be just as low.

"S-Sorry, Mr. Riter." Putting his phone away, Danny looked down to his desk, trying to let his expression crumple naturally. A peek through his bangs showed Andrew was already breaking. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." It was easy to see there wasn't any heat in the words, most of the class noticing as well as they snickered to themselves. "As I said, this is due at the end of the week, so don't leave it to the last minute like I know some of you will be tempted to do." Andrew looked to the clock, nose wrinkling for a second. "Feel free to attempt escape now, and if a teacher sees you, remember, they can't chase you out of the school for legal reasons. Mr. Fenton, _you_ stay behind. I want to talk to you about your cell phone usage during my class."

Danny wouldn't be surprised if he had an offended and outraged expression on his face, but in his defense, that was just _low_. Of course, it could be he was blushing in embarrassment. "Ouch. Ruthless, isn't he," Sam grinned, gathering her own things and following after the other students that were fleeing en masse. "Have fun with 'Mr. Riter', Danny!"

As soon as the door shut, Danny turned his betrayed gaze to Andrew, "This is why the whole school thinks you're fucking me into your desk everyday, you know." Ah, a flustered Andrew. Balance restored.

"I believe a good deal of the blame could be placed upon you and your flirting, mon cher." Standing up, Danny opened his mouth to complain only to blink as he saw Andrew flicking through his phone. "Hey! That's against school rules!"

"Not against tutor rules," Andrew taunted, scrolling through his chat with Randy. "Ah, Beaumont Brownies. Now that's a reason I can forgive when it comes to being distracted."

"Beaumont?" Danny frowned, watching Andrew type something out on his phone. "Who the heck is Beaumont?"

"It's Randy's last name before he was taken by the Sect of the Crow," Andrew easily kept Danny's phone out of reach, still typing on it. "Randall Nicolas Beaumont."

"That's so pretentious." Digging for the coolness inside of him, Danny let his transformation wash over him before flying at Andrew. It was a little upsetting how easily he was caught and twirled, a kiss being placed to his cheek. "Beaumont, seriously?"

"He was from an aristocratic family, I believe, before the Sect took him as a punishment to the Beaumonts. Sylvia, our mother, informally adopted him in and he took on the last name Riter to honor that." Huh. Danny's thoughts were broken by his phone buzzing, Andrew giving a snort as he typed up a reply.

"Wha- Hey! That's my phone, you know." Squirming in the hold, Danny tried to see what it said, upset at how easily he was failing. " _Andy_."

"Danny," Andrew parroted, kissing him on the cheek again and typing a few more things before handing him his phone. A dozen messages were deleted, Danny huffing as he curled around his phone.

"Crazy assassins." Beaumont, huh. It suited him. Randy Riter sounded all well and good, but Randall Beaumont sounded...nice. "I hope you know Sam is going to be out for blood over you saying Phantom was banned."

"Her writing is good - very good, actually - but she tends to get too caught up in her chosen topics. Phantom would have been too easy for her to use, especially since I'll be the one grading it so she can use you by extension. This will force her to think outside the box. Plus, I don't want to read dozens of papers about how my students are 'so totally in love' with you. It's disconcerting."

"Or you're just jealous," Danny kissed at Andrew's own cheek. Pulling back and ready to launch into a very lengthy list on just why Andrew shouldn't be jealous, a wisp of blue air curled out of his mouth with a gasp. "Oh, come on! Does the truce just not matter, anymore.!"

"It's most likely Johnny and Kitty here to bother you," Andrew laughed, letting Danny go at last and flicking his hand towards his papers and books. Purple energy wrapped around them before neatly stacking together. "You deal with them if you wish, I need to go talk to your principal. I think she's trying to cut my already minimal pay."

"More ruthless than a Riter, she is." Kissing Andrew's cheek again, Danny easily phased through the ceiling before looking around towards the front of the school. He didn't hear Johnny's motorcycle, and that thing was loud even without the ghost hearing. Maybe it was Wulf? He sometimes visited after school.

"Still so quick to hunt a ghost. You really are just like your parents, aren't you, Danny dear?" Sickly sweet words that stuck to his skin like sap and cut into his bones like knives.

"Let's see… Smart, ambitious, colorful, and caring about my family? Yeah, guess I am like them, huh? So glad you noticed." Anger coursed through him like waves, energy swirling into Danny's hands as he turned around. "I thought I told you to stay away from the school, Spectra."

"Easy there, darling." Spectra's laugh was light and airy, a hand going to her mouth as she sat on the edge of the roof. "I was just curious about how your new substitute teacher was doing. I suppose he would be good at training multiple people at once- Oh, I'm sorry. 'Teaching'."

"What are you on about now, Spectra." Maybe he could just freeze her and stick her in the Far Frozen. Frostbite would gladly keep her contained for a while. Maybe a few centuries?

"That's what they were required to do when they reached a certain age." Spectra's voice had taken on the tone of a lecture, the woman crossing her legs and looking like she was comfortably seated in a chair, instead of on the edge of a roof. "After they proved themselves, they were tasked to train others. I'm sure he's mentioned it before."

It didn't take much imagination for Danny to figure out who 'he' was, and he could already feel the growl ripping its way out of his throat. "Spectra, you have three seconds-"

"The Sanctum, Danny, the _Sanctum_. Surely he must have mentioned it? You think it was just him and that 'brother' of his who were killers? They were raised among countless others, they _trained_ countless others." Spectra dodged the attack he aimed at her far too easily for his liking. "You shouldn't be asking how many people he's killed, Danny. What you should be asking is how many killers he's raised. The Priest of Death left such a legacy, after all."

Spectra vanished in a swirl of shadows, Danny's next attack missing by just a moment. "He's not like that anymore! And why should I believe anything you say anyways!" There was no response, and Danny couldn't stop her words from swirling around his head.

The Sanctum, huh…

::

"Hey Andy, hey Randy, yeah, I just wanted to ask you what the Sanctum is? I mean, apparently it's where you learned to kill and trained others to kill? Obviously that's not true, right? Yeah, totally. Great job, Fenton, might as well as just go bury myself in a snow drift for a couple decades."

He didn't want to dig into their past like this but he was _curious_ , and damn Spectra for making him realize that. Picking at their past and opening wounds they had been trying to heal for twenty years… Danny didn't want that but he really didn't know much about their past. He knew all the stories. The stories of the Priest of Death and his White Fang. The rooftop terrors of France that stalked the shadows. Killers and liars and… And…

And idiots who were covered in brownie and cookie batter. "Did… Did you two get into a food fight, or...?"

"I wouldn't say it was a _fight_ ," Randy was blushing. _Blushing_. "More of a small altercation that ended in the possible result of food debris landing upon our persons."

"It was a food fight." Andrew scooped up a lump of cookie dough, smashing it on Randy's head and grinning at his squawk of outrage. "I won."

"Did… Did you two swap bodies?" Because what _even_. "Or am I just seeing your true nature, again?"

"It was a draw." Randy completely ignored the question, trying to scrub the cookie dough out of his hair. "We just noticed you were quiet, so we were trying to figure out the best way to cheer you up."

"He thought brownies would work better, and I _graciously_ offered to make cookies as well." 'Rooftop terrors of France'. And here they were covered in batter and trying to place the blame on each other.

"Graciously," Danny flew over with a snort of laughter, tilting Andrew's head up before licking at a spot of brownie batter of his cheek. The blush was delightful, as was Randy's poorly concealed snort of laughter. "Delicious. Now, explain to me how this all happened and why Vidya isn't kicking your ass."

Spectra was right. Danny didn't know about their pasts like he should have. He didn't know just how many they had killed, how many others they had worked with, or even what 'the Sanctum' was. But… He also didn't need to know. Right now what mattered was that they weren't the Priest of Death and White Fang, but dorks trying to make him feel better.

He didn't need to know… Right?


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

**::**

"I know you're there, petit mec." Shelving books was always such a pain, Randy mused. His lair didn't automatically put books back where they belonged like Vidya did. Although Randy knew Liz just liked to be difficult on purpose most days. "Didn't we have a conversation about sneaking up on assassins?"

"I wasn't sneaking." White hair was peeking out from around a shelf before green eyes joined a moment later. "I was just waiting for you to notice me. Obviously."

"Oh, obviously." Shelving the last book, Randy flew over and wrapped Danny up his arms in a tight hug, burying his face against his hair. "What's up?"

"Why does something have to be up?" His breathing was off by three counts, his core was beating two beats faster than normal, instead of leaning into his touch Danny arched against it, his tail tip was curled tightly inwards instead of flicking through the air, and his voice was just a note too high.

"Guess I'm just used to you coming to me for help on getting out of trouble." Energy sparking up through him, Randy easily teleported them to his bed, letting Danny go so he could fall into a pile of blankets that looked more like a nest.

It was fun, watching Danny blink and poke his head up, looking around at the darkened room and drawn curtains of the four-poster bed. It was a moment before Danny started nudging and pushing at the blankets, softening the area up before curling down in it, tail tightly held to his chest. "I knew you were a wolf, but this is just ridiculous."

"Says the cat that just kneaded everything to make it more comfortable," Randy snorted, laying down on half of the nest, head propped up on his arms. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Who says there's an it to talk about?" Danny defensively curled up further, only relaxing when Randy reached forward to tangle a hand in his hair. "I… I ran into Spectra, the other day." Of course. There was always this lingering _darkness_ after Danny got into a fight with Spectra. Like a part of her shadow had become Danny's own. "She… She said some stuff that got me thinking."

"As big of a bitch as she is, she knows how to do her job. She knows how to get under your skin." As he spoke, Randy let his hand drop down to Danny's neck, rubbing at the back of it and almost laughing at the quiet purr it earned him. "Talk to me, Danny."

"She started going on about- About-" Taking a breath, Danny closed his eyes and spoke in a rush, as if trying to rip off a band-aid. "About the Sanctum, and how you two were raised with other killers, and trained others to kill." Randy felt his hand tighten a moment before he relaxed it, thoughts racing and tumbling through his head far too fast to make sense of.

"That would be my fault. I don't think Andy has ever run into her, but I have… She riled me up to the point I let slip more things than I wanted to."

"So she can't read minds, or anything? See into the past, maybe?" That had Randy giving a laugh, shushing Danny when he started whining.

"Easy there, petit mec, I'm not laughing at you so much as the thought. She… It's more she has the power to see the surface thoughts. What you might be thinking at the time. Only if she has contact, though. She isn't that powerful." Thank whatever was out there for that, too. Spectra was a big enough problem when she was just a leech, give her proper power and, well…

"Would make sense," Danny mumbled, relaxing when Randy slipped his hand around to cup the teen's cheek, thumb rubbing against the skin. "Randy… What's the Sanctum?" Quiet for a moment, Randy made himself more comfortable before starting.

"The Sanctum is an old cathedral near central France, just outside of a rather small town. It's also the main building of the Sect of the Crow, or at least, it was. God knows what's happened to it now. It was where children were taken and trained to kill in the name of the Lord. Everything we did was to purge the world of sinners in order to bring in the glory of the new kingdom." The words were sour on his tongue, forced out with a bitter laugh and a closed up throat. "We were his chosen disciples, raised in the dark and shadows."

A bright toxic green caught his gaze, Randy letting himself get lost in Danny's eyes as he calmed his thoughts. It was always so simple when it was Andrew and Danny. The only two people who could make his mind stop racing. "The Sanctum was where we lived until Andy was twelve. I was sixteen and I had spent so many years there… I still remember, you know. Vaguely."

Shifting forward, Randy rolled himself down into the nest with Danny, easily curling around the other when he cuddled close. It was so much easier to talk about this in the dark when no one could hear or see him. "I was four when I was taken from my home. The Beaumonts were a high class family and they disagreed very vocally with the public face of the Sect of the Crow. In order to punish them, they stole their firstborn."

"You." Danny looked up, so much empathy in his gaze that Randy couldn't help but draw him closer. "Andy told me a bit."

"We aren't really brothers. At least, not in blood. I don't know if we act like brothers either, but… There wasn't really a name to describe what we were to each other. There still isn't. We were all the other had. Lifeboats and anchors when we were drowning."

"And here I thought Andy was supposed to be the poetic one." Laughing, Randy settled down, face tucked into Danny's neck. A nap didn't sound too bad, especially when a cuddle captive was involved in the matter. Danny didn't seem to mind, either. Breathing deeper, core calm, a hand running through his hair slowly and calmly.

"I'll tell you more, if you want. About the Sanctum, how we grew up, our lives, how we escaped. I can tell you everything." There was a skip in Danny's breathing, and Randy knew the teen wanted to know. Wanted to know _desperately._

"Later." But then Danny was Danny. "One day." He would never hurt their feelings, and the only reason he had asked now was because of Spectra… Ah. The darkness was lighter. "You're not going to move, are you?"

"Mm, no. I don't think I will." Steady noises, a peaceful air, and the constant touch against his head. Randy was dropping off fast, and he only picked up the tail end of Danny's question. "Hm?"

"Do you wish it had been different? That you'd never been taken?" Heh. That wasn't even a question Randy had to think about.

"Once. Not anymore, though." He never would have met Andrew. Never would have learned what he did - good and bad. Sylvia wouldn't have been his mother. He never would have seen this beautiful, amazing world he got to explore everyday. He never would have met _Danny_. "There's a lot I wish I could change… But there's even more I know I wouldn't."

"That was sappy." Unable to stop a laugh as Danny burrowed close, Randy wrapped back around him and kissed the top of his head. "You're horribly sappy."

"Yeah, just a bit." Some days he would never be able to explain what he had between these two precious people in his life. Between his 'brothers'. It was such a weak word but it didn't matter. Not as long as he kept them close. "No telling Andy."

"Promise." It wasn't perfect, not by a longshot. It was rough, and messy, and so hard to keep going, but… It was theirs, and it was amazing.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

**::**

"I could be mistaken, but I rather thought you went to the Riters when it came to needing help on your homework." Goddamn- Was it so hard to ask that Clockwork at least _pretend_ to be surprised when Danny snuck up on him!

"All of time and space. You can see all of _time_ and _space_ , but you abuse your powers to follow me around like a worried parent. That's just sad, Clockwork." Throwing his bag into an armchair, Danny flew over and floated beside Clockwork, watching the time mirrors. He could never see anything but glimpses and flashes, but it was… It was calming, in a way. Relaxing.

"Yet you often find yourself attracting danger that affects the safety of both worlds. I believe my concern is warranted." Clockwork gave a small ruffle to Danny's hair, lips twitching into a smile. "And I guessed."

"I knew that." Danny shifted to lean back in the air, silence falling over the two before Danny was breaking it after less than a minute. "I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it? That I feel like this? It's normal. It's totally normal."

"We should never be ashamed or scared of our feelings, Daniel. They're a part of what makes us who we are." Mhm. Right. Okay. That made total sense. _Not_.

"It's not normal. I mean- I mean, he's- It's not _right_. Maybe it's just one of those things that come and go, ya know? Like, stuff like this doesn't last long! Andrew just happened to be the very happy exception!"

"Sometimes exceptions can happen more than once." Clockwork barely finished before Danny did his best to drown him out with loud and pained groaning.

"You're not supposed to be encouraging this! Less! Less encouragement! I mean- I mean it's _so wrong_ to have a _crush_ on my mate's _brother_!" Well… Danny wasn't sure he could call it a crush. "I just… It's…" It was so blurred. Before there had been lines. Very clear and precise lines about how they should act.

Randy was Andrew's brother. He was fun to be around, great to team up with, and always did his best to protect and look after them. The thing was, the thing _was_ , that's how Andrew and him had been in the beginning. The way he was acting with Randy, that was _just_ how he and Andrew had been for the longest time.

"Will it help if I tell you everything will work out in due time?" Chewing on his bottom lip, Danny glanced to Clockwork. As much as he made jokes about Clockwork acting like a worried parent, he… He could use the parental advice. "Even if you were to have similar feelings for Randall, would it be so bad? How would that change things between the three of you?"

"Andy would-!" Would… What? Break up with him? Never. Spectra could pick at him all she wanted, but one core thing Danny believed above all else was that Andrew would always stick by him. "But Randy…" Would leave? Never. Those two of all people knew what difficult situations were like, and they'd understand perfectly. "It'd be awkward."

"For a time, but you and I both know they'd support you and help you to work through these feelings if they ever become too much. You don't have to tell them, Daniel, but do try to promise me you'll speak to them if you get overwhelmed."

"I… I'll do my best." Because it would be awkward. Horribly so. He loved Andrew more than anything - _anything_ \- but… But Randy was beginning to become just as important in his life. He had made such an _impact_.

"If it helps any, I believe you've found the driving inspiration behind your latest Creative Writing assignment." Laughing, Danny gave a nod, and, yeah. Guess he had found the inspiration.

"Guess so, huh? Feel like giving me a few tips and pointers since I'm already here? Maybe help me with history a little bit?" The hand ruffling his hair was answer enough, Danny smiling brightly and flying over to get his bag. "Right, okay, so, we're doing this big whole thing on the founding of America where it's such a relevant topic right now. You know, that whole musical and all? So I need some dirt and gossip on the founding fathers."

"Powers over all of time and space and you wish to use them to complete your history homework." Clockwork shook his head as laughter bubbled out of him. "Daniel, you are the most interesting person I have ever met."

"I'll do my best to keep being interesting, then. Now, dirt and gossip, Clockwork. Dirt and gossip."

::

Andrew stared down at the paper he was reading, thoughts in a whirl as he tapped his pencil against the edge of his work desk in Vidya. "Danny, Danny, Danny… What am I going to do with you, mon cher." The paper in front of him was six pages typed font and easily over two thousand words. Andrew had asked for seven hundred and Danny had typed up _two thousand_ about how Randy had made an impact on him and his life.

The tone conveyed was proper and professional with just a dash of sass, the structure was rock solid and perfectly put together, at least ten vocabulary words had been used from his English lists that week, and it was an essay worthy of a college freshman, let alone a high school junior. It at least explained why the teen had been so squirrelly the last few days, and Andrew would definitely make a note to take Danny aside and talk with him if it started to affect him. For now, though… "Randy! Could you come help me grade papers!"

Distant sounds came from the kitchen, Andrew able to hear the oven being fiddled with, bowls set aside, and a quiet swear as something clattered into the sink. "I don't exactly have a teaching degree, Andy! Especially not in English!"

Hmph. Always so stubborn. "S'il vous plaît, grand frère?" There was sudden silence, Andrew frowning and looking up to see that Randy was in front of him with this arms crossed, looking unamused.

"You have no concept of mercy, do you?" The only response Andrew dignified that with was a bright smile. "Alright, alright. I still don't see why I'm helping."

"Because Danny is at the movies with his friends and I don't trust anyone else." Heh, easy as could be. "Just take this stack and look through them? I already marked them, but I want you to check for any spelling or grammar errors before I give the final grade."

"You're just being lazy," Randy complained, taking the stack of papers and sitting in the spot they had been in. Tucking his legs underneath himself, Randy grabbed a red pen and began reading. He was halfway through the first one before Andrew heard him mumbling. "What the fuck… Why would you _admit_ to that?"

"Welcome to the life of a high school teacher," Andrew snorted, brightening as he picked up Sam's. Huh, she went with a positive angle. Interesting, for her. Ah, when she was first captured by a ghost and how it tied into her gothic beliefs… She was stepping outside of her boundaries. Andrew made sure to scribble a little smiley face next to her rather high grade.

The room was quiet besides the occasional comment or laugh as they pointed out particularly good - or bad - bits. It was nice. Andrew had almost forgotten how fun it was to spend time with Randy when it was just the two of them, quiet and relaxed. It was nice. Peaceful.

A sharp inhale let him know Randy had reached Danny's paper. Keeping himself calm, Andrew turned the page on the paper he was grading, "Something interesting?"

"Ye- Yeah. You could say that." It was a few minutes of papers flipping carefully back and forth. It was a few more minutes of silence before Randy tried to speak. "Andy-"

"Save it." Marking a grade down, Andrew placed Mikey's paper into the complete pile. He would have to have a talk with him about not being so textbook about his work. "I already know what you're going to say, grand frère. You're going to attempt to apologize, you'll say how you'll speak with him about it, try to get him to understand. Some poor joke about one of our missions, a poor excuse to leave the room, and then you'll hide out in Liz for a few days. Sound about right?"

"And let me guess what you're going to say." Randy's voice was a wreck, the man running a hand through his hair as he stared down at the paper. "You'll say I have nothing to apologize for and that feelings can never be helped. You'll say that I shouldn't speak to him unless he approaches us, or it starts to hurt him. That it's alright if he doesn't understand yet because half the time we don't even understand. You'll shoot a self-deprecating joke back about our past to counter mine, pretend to believe my poor excuse, and then try to give me my space. Sound about right?"

"Now that we've established all of that, how about we try something different for a change?" Standing up, Andrew didn't give Randy a chance to move before he was wrapping the older up in a hug. "Does it matter what we name our feelings when we're all happy, and comfortable? If it bothers you we can talk about it. If it bothers _any_ of us we can talk about it, but for now… Can't we just enjoy what we have?"

It was simple. They loved each other, that much was a definite fact. Anything else… Andrew didn't see how it mattered. Randy was just as important to him as Danny was. There was no comparing the two, no competition, no one above the other, they were just… They were his. Why should anything else matter?

"When did it get to be you comforting me?" Randy was wrapped around Andrew just as tightly, only pulling away to cup his cheeks and kiss him softly on the forehead. It was possible Andrew blushed, but he'd be taking that secret to his second death. "If you don't give him an perfect grade, I'm going to be disappointed in you."

"He gets a 94, there were places where he could show signs of improvement. Sentence structure that needs to be changed and moved around a little, and-"

"You're so cruel to your students." A small yelp escaped him as Randy pulled Andrew up into his lap, kissing at his cheek this time. "What did I ever do to earn you in my life?"

"Something horrible, no doubt." Andrew didn't need to see his face to know it was brightly flushed, or that he had a smile far too big. "I'm still trying to figure out the one good thing I did to earn you."

"Probably wasn't all that good," Randy snorted, the man's energy swirling and twisting around them before they were sitting on the couch a few feet away, papers stacked neatly around them. "I'm helping you grade from now on, I hope you know. This entertainment is too good to pass up."

"I figured." Hm. Andrew really needed to corner Randy one day and see just how his powers worked. Teleportation was one thing for powerful ghosts, but Randy always made it seem so _effortless_. "Pass me Baxter's. I'm going to be passive-aggressive."

"Favoritism among students is frowned upon," Randy handed the paper over anyways, snorting and laughing under his breath. "How many gold star stickers do you think I can get away with putting on Danny's paper?"

"I don't have any gold star stickers." Digging Danny's paper out, Andrew made sure to doodle a happy little ghost in the corner. Randy, the show-off, had to go and start drawing on the back of each paper. Considering his skills when it came to backgrounds and scenery work, Andrew wouldn't be surprised if Danny ended up saving this paper for the rest of his life. "You're really okay?"

It wasn't even a moment before the arms around him tightened, Randy pulling Andrew further back into his lap and tucking him close. "I'm really okay." The warmth and contentment in the words had Andrew relaxing at once, quiet sigh leaving him.

"Good. Now pass me the red pen, I have some idiots that need to pass high school." They would be okay. Names and labels weren't needed, they had each other, and that was all that mattered. They would be okay no matter what. Andrew believed that with everything in him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

::

For once, Danny's attention was less on Andrew's lesson, and more on the assignment he had been given back. The grade wasn't what was making him stare so much as the intricately sketched scenes on the back of each page. A captured image of him, Andrew, and Randy relaxing in Vidya. One of Andrew and Danny curled up on the couch asleep. Another of Danny and Randy relaxing in one of the Ghost Zone biomes. So many of them all together, in some way, happy and peaceful.

Andrew had written small encouragements next to each one. Words that conveyed the messages that they understood. That it was alright. That nothing was going to change. The words and images washed over him, soothed him down from any panic or anxiety he could feel about the matter.

He had gotten so lucky to have these two in his life… He'd need to make sure to repay the favor. "Oh, please tell me you're not thinking of doing what I know you're thinking of doing."

"No idea what you mean, Sammy." The class had been 'dismissed' at this point, but most were lingering in the room and talking to friends, or waiting for the school bell to actually _ring_. It was the perfect chance. Standing up, Danny walked up to Andrew's desk, hoping the smile on his face was as shy as he was trying to aim for.

"Mr. Fenton. Something I can help you with?" Andrew didn't look fooled for one second, and his expression was equal parts challenging and affectionate. It was a look Danny loved to see on him more than anything.

"Well, I, um… I was having some problems with my English homework, but I didn't want to bother Mr. Lancer with it. I was hoping maybe I could stay after school with you for a little while? Have you walk me through it?"

"Wouldn't it be better to ask the teacher who assigned you the work for help? Mr. Lancer keeps office hours to help his students, last I was aware." Andrew was doing an amazing job of keeping himself in check. Danny wanted to see that calm exterior _shattered_. There was nothing better than seeing the cool and emotionless Andrew crack and make way for a flustered, sassy Andy.

"He does, but… I've already taken enough of his time up with everything else, and I thought since you were an English major and taught us, you'd be able to help just as much." Alright, he couldn't rush. He had to take it slow and be careful.

"If you really need the help, Danny, I won't turn you away. I know you're a remarkable student when you put your mind to it." Danny couldn't stop his grin or the flush that crawled up his neck and cheeks, and this time there was nothing fake about the way he was looking at Andrew. He may have only been a teacher at Casper High for a few weeks, but he had been Danny's teacher for so much longer.

"You'd be one of the few who think that, sir." Taking a breath, Danny let his head tilt downwards, gaze flicking up to meet Andrew's. "It's why I love spending time with you. You make me feel worth something."

"I- I see." The facade was breaking, and Danny couldn't tell if Andrew was as caught up in their game as he was, or if the man really was startled by how _sincere_ Danny's words were. It wasn't like Danny was lying, though… Those words had been the absolute truth. Every one of them. "What is it you needed help with in English?"

"Well, we just started on the Great Gatsby, and I'm having trouble understanding the part where Gatsby seems to idealize Daisy and build her up to be something she isn't. I don't understand it and I keep getting lost because why didn't he want to find out who Daisy really is?" As he spoke, Danny slipped forward to brace his hands against Andrew's desk, far closer to him than he really should have been. "Why didn't he want to keep pushing and _pushing_ until he found the truth. Until he discovered if they could really _be_ something."

Andrew, the lucky bastard, was saved from answering by the bell ringing and cutting through the conversations in the class. Students were gathering their things and leaving at once, many of them shooting Danny odd looks or whispering a fair few rumors that would be all over by tomorrow morning. Managing to keep it together until the last student closed the door, Danny finally broke into a wide smile as he turned back to Andrew.

"Far as I can recall, I did nothing to earn this punishment." Andrew was blushing to the tips of his ears, Danny unable to resist cooing and moving forward to rub at the tip of one. The quiet, barely-heard purr made his grin all the wider.

"I know you showed Randy my paper. I needed to get back at you somehow." And show how much Danny cared about him, in a way. "Besides, this only helps the whole 'Fenton definitely can't be Phantom' case."

"As long as they never see Phantom interact with me, then I suppose yes, it helps your case." Andrew lightly batted Danny's hand away, powers starting to stack all his books and papers and gather things from around the room. "Are you really having trouble understanding the Great Gatsby?"

"A little bit, but not on the part I was tormenting you about. Go over it with me?" It was always so interesting to see Andrew's telekinesis powers. Most ghosts could levitate and pick up small objects that related to their obsession - the Box Ghost being a prime example - but Andrew was the only ghost who had as much control and finesse over things that didn't deal with his own obsession.

"After we eat whatever concoction Randy's come up with this time," Andrew finished making sure everything was put away before holding his hand out to Danny. "Shall we?"

"We _could_ , or…" Danny let his transformation swirl and move around him, powers sparking and reacting to this thoughts as he drifted off into the air. Smirking, he let his body become intangible. "Race ya."

Danny was off in a shot, speeding through the roof and taking off into the skies before another word could even reach to him. Energy coursing through him and moving him along, pushing him to go faster and faster, push his limits more and more. And this- _This_ was why he could never regret what he had become.

Human and ghost and something in between but this… Racing through the air and free in a way no one else down there was. His entire body tense and ready, his mind blissfully clear, and his heart-core-soul pounding and beating and setting his entire being's rhythm.

"Is that the best you can do!" Vision sharp and clearer than it ever was when human, Danny's eyes shot down to where Andrew was standing on top of a roof, coat swirling around him and grin wide and sharp. Andrew Riter? Not quite. Priest? Not anymore. Ghostwriter? Not entirely. Andy, though… "I thought this was supposed to be a race!"

And for as natural as Danny was in the air, Andrew was more so when jumping and running across rooftops. Not one bit of ghostly power was in those moves, not even a dash of supernatural strength. The only thing moving Andrew was muscle memory and years of training and skill, instinct of where it was safe to jump and run and roll.

"You weren't kidding about running across rooftops, were you!" Danny dived to where he was level with Andrew, swerving around obstacles and under building walkways and fire escapes. Sitting at home and curled up with a book was nice, but _this_. This was a feeling that couldn't be beat.

"Having fun?" Andrew called before he pulled off a combination move that would make even elite gymnasts jealous, looking like he was having the time of his life.

"I'm with you, of course I am." Putting on a burst of speed, Danny laughed as he tackled Andrew to the ground, the two rolling and tangling together for a moment. Danny found himself pinned on his back, wrists held down to the ground and Andrew leaning over him, panting and unable to stop his laughter.

"Cheating so soon?" Bending down, Andrew rested his forehead against Danny's, the two's breaths swirling and mingling as they gasped in the sunny fall day. "You really are perfect for me."

"Perfect? Where's the fun in that?" Danny grinned and phased out of Andrew's grip, launching up to wrap around him and tug him into a kiss- Well. It was less of a kiss and more lips brushing against lips, the two laughing and panting too much for anything else. "This is so much more _fun_ than perfect could ever be."

And it wasn't. It wasn't perfect. There was too much darkness that dogged their footsteps, too much doubt that swirled around their minds and kept them chained. It was messy, and there were times they fought like cats and dogs, and small misunderstandings that left bitter wounds even quick as they were. Their lives, their relationship, everything they were… It was the furthest thing from perfect it could ever be.

It made things so much _better_.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

**::**

"Danny." Hearing his name, Danny paused in his latest text message to Randy before looking up to Tucker, who was standing in the doorway of their French class. "Danny, I think I'm losing my mind."

"As opposed to you actually having one?" Danny pushed Tucker in, making sure the teen kept his balance. "What are you even… No." Sitting behind the teacher's desk was a far too familiar ghost, Andrew looking a mix between disgruntled and amused. "You're subbing _French_ \- When did you find out? Why didn't you tell me? _Andy_!"

It was only through pure luck that no one was paying him any attention as he headed over to Andrew's side. And that no one heard just how familiar he was being with their substitute teacher. Andrew, on his part, only shook his head, "I thought they were _joking_. I was in the teacher's lounge yesterday and someone brought up how I was French and your Principal just began smiling. It was...disturbing, to put it mildly."

"Yeah, she usually is. How does that relate to you teaching French- Where's Mrs. Flores?" There hadn't been any mentions of vacation leave, as far as Danny could recall. "Are you even qualified to teach French? No offense, I mean, I know you have your teaching degree for English, but-"

"No, no, I brought up the same point," Andrew sat up, absently moving a few papers around and giving a disgusted look to their textbook. "She started going on about how it's only beginner French and there should be enough lesson plans to get me through the few months I'll be needed here-"

" _Months_? You'll be here teaching for _months_?" Okay, that one had been overheard, and Danny's pure joy had probably been noticed, but, really. This only helped his act. "Seriously?"

"Yes, Danny, 'seriously'." Shaking his head with a smile, Andrew stood up and uncapped one of his purple markers. He was starting to carry them around more than even his knives, at this point. "Class is starting." Making sure to show his pout as much as he could, Danny retreated to his seat beside Tucker. "Good afternoon, class. As you're likely confused, let me catch you up to speed."

In one corner of the board, Andrew had written his name as well as the day's current date, blocking it off from the lesson he was now writing on the board in a mixture of English and French. It was amusing, since he honestly thought he _needed_ to write his name. Everyone in the school already knew it. "Your French teacher, Mrs. Flores, is going to be on maternity leave for the next five months, last I was informed."

"Mrs. Flores was pregnant?" Oh, good. The rest of the class was as startled by that information as Danny was.

"Is. Present tense, please, Mr. Ryu. Yes, however, she is. She'll be returning sometime around late March, but for now, I'll be taking over your classes. As most of you might know at this point, I was born and raised in France when I was younger. This seems to be enough for your principal to think I can teach this class. Heathen."

That earned bits of laughter scattered throughout the class, Danny rolling his eyes dramatically when Andrew caught his gaze. Andrew let his own eyes flick to the ceiling in a half-hearted parody of an eyeroll, Danny trying to hide his laughter. "It can't be much different from teaching English," someone muttered near the back, Andrew giving a _snort_.

"You would think so, wouldn't you? Learning a language is never easy, especially when it's so different from one you grew up with." Andrew capped his marker, smile twitching on his face. "And I will tell you now that half of the French language is for 'aesthetics'. A good deal of it doesn't make sense, is redundant, and is purposely difficult to learn. Much like English, no?"

Paulina was the one to raise her hand, this time, speaking before even being called on. It seemed most of Andrew's classes were like that, once they all learned he was a pushover when it came to his students. "But it _sounds_ utterly gorgeous. It can't really be as bad as you're making it sound."

"Photonically pleasing does not mean grammatically pleasing," Andrew rifled around the teacher's desk for a moment, finally pulling out a folder. "It says you last left off around learning the feminine and masculine verbs for words, oui?" There was a collective answer of oui, Andrew looking like he was trying not to wince. "Please feel free to not answer as a class unless asked. It's largely unhelpful as a learning technique."

"It's because their pronunciation was terrible," Danny muttered to Tucker, knowing Andrew had heard him by the smile he was trying to hide.

"Have any of you learned to speak in complete sentences, yet?" There were a few hands raised throughout the class, Danny halfheartedly raising his own. "Alright, I'm going to switch to French and ask a few questions. I want you all to follow along as best you can and answer if possible. Don't worry if you can't, I just want to see where you all are. _Everyone understand_?"

The last few words were in French, everyone nodding and a few chiming in with 'oui's scattered throughout. Andrew nodded again, looking around before thinking for a moment. " _Has she taught you basic sentence conjunction_?" Someone raised their hand, Andrew nodding.

" _A bit. We can put together simple things. Not much else._ " It seemed more than Andrew was at least expecting, the man continuing with the theme of asking questions and waiting for answers. He started using more obscure dialects and words, getting to the point where he was speaking as a native instead of the words they had been taught.

" _Now you're just being mean to them, my angel. You know there's a difference between native speaking and standard speaking_."

" _That and the fact my French is from the 1960s_ ," Andrew snickered, sitting on his desk at this point, most of his attention devoted to Danny. It felt safe enough, since no one else seemed to understand a thing they were saying. " _Think I should show mercy_?"

" _When do you ever_? _Also, I'm pretty sure Randy is planning something worrying for dinner. Not sure what, though. He was being vague about it_."

" _When is he ever straight- Don't-_ " The warning came a bit too late, since Danny was already laughing loudly and trying to smother the sound, failing rather spectacularly. " _Honestly._ Right, so you all have a rather strong grasp of basics. That will serve you well if you choose to continue learning French, but for now I want to go over a few things with you that might help make the language easier to learn."

::

"So what's this I hear about you teaching French?" Randy hid his laughter against Andrew's neck as the man groaned loudly. "Petit mec tells me everything."

"As if you wouldn't have found out eventually anyways." Andrew shifted and squirmed, Randy only wrapping more around his shoulders from where he was standing behind the couch. "Randy."

"Andy." He probably would have been shoved off if Andrew wasn't trying to be careful of Danny, who was curled up on top of him and napping, reading glasses low on his face. "At least you get the chance to teach them the language the right way."

"I wasn't exactly trained in teaching French," Andrew complained, letting his head fall back to rest on Randy's shoulder, one hand grading papers that were floating around him, another buried in Danny's hair and rubbing at his scalp. "Speaking the language doesn't automatically qualify someone to teach it."

"It's Amity Park, are you really that surprised." Reaching past Andrew, Randy gathered up the homework Danny had been working on before moving to sit on the couch. It took a bit of poking and prodding to get Danny to move even an inch before Randy sighed and shifted the teen to where he was laying over the both of them.

Settling down, Randy flipped to the teen's math homework, reaching for a pencil to start making corrections and notes as needed. He read through half the paper before he was running a hand through his hair, "Oh, dear." Every question was wrong, and Randy had to check that he had Danny's paper in hand and not a list of what _not_ to do in math.

"Oh dear?" Andrew leaned over to look at the paper himself, wincing after a few moments. "Oh, dear." It was really bad if even Andrew could see the problem after a few moments of glancing at the paper. "I thought you went over these problems with him last week?"

"I did! I remember because he was making math puns the whole time." At the rather judging look, Randy fiddled with the paper for a moment. "I might have encouraged a few of them, here and there, but that's not the problem here. He knows these, I know he does, so it doesn't… Hold on a 'mo."

Pulling over a blank piece of paper, Randy scribbled down a new equation, this one near similar to the first except for a few rearranged and changed numbers. A quick moment and the answer was the same as the one Danny had. "Did… He read the questions wrong? All of them?"

"Well the word problems are perfectly fine but, yeah. It's like he couldn't see-" Randy cut himself off, looking back down to where Danny was asleep, reading glasses near falling off of him at this point. "You don't think…?"

"He… He never went to an eye exam," Andrew chewed on his lip, tilting Danny's head towards them with a hand on his cheek. "I just gave him a pair of old reading glasses I had lying around when I noticed he was having problems."

"Which was about three years ago, right?" The silence seemed weighted, unspoken words flying back and forth, half-formed arguments that died without even a breath, snippy remarks conveyed with nothing but a tilt of the head and narrowing of the eyes, and finally a noise that was nothing but a quiet sigh.

"I'll call Jazz and have her set up an appointment for him sometime this week," Andrew mumbled, pulling his phone out and already dialing the number. "Neither of them are going to be happy about this."

"Considering how he is about you and your glasses, I think he'll be okay with it." Right. Scribbling out Danny's answers and re-writing the equations to be more reader friendly should at least help short-term. He'd talk with Danny about it a bit more once he woke up from his nap. "Hey, is it just me…"

"It's not." Andrew was hiding a smile as he buried a hand in Danny's hair again. "Hello, Jasmine. I wanted to talk to you- No, Jasmine, I am not asking you for his hand in marriage." Snorting at that rather delightful thought, Randy went back to writing things out, thoughts churning.

Danny was sleeping so much more these days, and it… It was a good thing. Instead of pushing his body to his limits and forcing himself to keep going through his pain, he'd instead find one of them and curl up for nap. He was still up all hours of the night dealing with stray ghosts and problems, but nothing like it had been the last few years. He had finally acknowledged his limits and was working _with_ them, instead of against them. It… It was good. Nice.

Now if they could just get him to wear a pair of prescription glasses, things might end up going even better. Randy didn't hold out much hope on that front, however.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

**::**

"Look on the bright side, Ghostwriter, at least, is going to love them." 'Bright side', she said. _Bright side_. As if there could ever be a bright side to something as horrible as _this_. "Danny, they're glasses, not the end of the world. Besides, they look kind of cool. Phantom-ish."

" _Sam_. I'm wearing _glasses_. It was bad enough to be labeled a geek with my star obsession and being friends with Tucker-"

"Hey!"

"-but this! This! This is something I can't come back from, Sammy. This is going to make the rest of my high school career hell. Remember this day, because it's going to be the one I look back on to remember just when exactly my life ended."

"That would be around the middle of August, actually." It took a moment, but when it hit, Danny gave Tucker his best look of disbelief and disdain. It was rather easy once he channeled his mate. "Just saying, just saying."

"They don't even _look_ that good." As if to prove it, Danny took the glasses off and thrust them into Tucker's face. He couldn't see the exact reaction, and… Wow. Had his eyesight really been that bad? It didn't seem like it had been so bad before he was made aware of it. "I mean, okay, they have ecto-green in them, but that's-"

"Cool. It's cool." Sam snatched the glasses, inspecting them herself. "It's subtle, too. You can only see it in the right light, and that makes them all the more interesting."

"Still hate them." Danny took the glasses back and roughly shoved them onto his face, trying to hide a wince.

"Just wear contacts, then, if it's that big of a deal."

"I can't. I tried. My eyes are too sensitive and I can _feel_ the plastic." That had Tucker wincing, and, yes. Tucker knew his pain, at least. "Probably because of my ghost side, but, yeah. No contacts."

"Hey, I get you there man. I mean, just constantly sticking a finger in your eye everyday…" Tucker shuddered, rather dramatically, as he curled around himself. "One of the reasons I always wear glasses, bro."

"Glasses are so _lame_ , though!" Feeling the look he was given, Danny gave a weak smile to Tucker. "You make them look good?"

"Damn right I do, now relax. A bunch of people wear glasses now, no one's going to give you shit over it. Besides, even Kwan wears glasses when reading."

"Really? Huh." Danny had not known that, but it was certainly interesting. "Alright, fine, I'll try to get used to them. But I'm still going to complain about the matter!"

"We'd expect nothing less," Sam threw an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a brief hug. "Really, though. You think Ghostwriter won't go crazy doting boyfriend at seeing you in glasses? He got distracted staring at you when you were just wearing _reading_ glasses. And ugly ones, at that."

"They weren't… They were pretty ugly, weren't they?" Huge blocky monstrosities, really, but Danny never had the time to go track down new ones.

"The worst. Now, are you going to wait until French, or are you going to torture him before homeroom?" Offended. That was how Danny was feeling. He was feeling offended that Sam even had to _ask_ that.

"Sammy. It's like you don't even know me anymore." With that oh so perfect timing he was very proud of, Danny near bounced up the steps to the school. The nights Danny didn't stay over usually meant Andrew arrived as late as he could get away with, and Danny might have timed their walk so it would end with them getting in the school just as Andrew was in the hallways.

"You take obsessive to a whole new level," Sam didn't look all that amused at first glance, but Danny knew she was holding back laughter on the inside. Probably.

"Maybe a bit." Adjusting his glasses and taking a breath, Danny quickly caught up to where Andrew was flicking through a folder of papers and muttering under his breath. Probably wondering how to get his students to _not_ fail. "Good morning, Mr. Riter."

"Hm? Bonjour, Danny." Andrew glanced over with a small smile, and Danny saw the exact moment that the man realized he had glasses on.

"Did you have a good weekend, sir?" Danny was so glad they had come up with the 'student crush' cover. Otherwise it would be impossible to stop himself from flirting and talking with Andrew.

"I- Ah. Hm. Yes?" Heh. This was years of revenge saved up for Andrew using his _own_ glasses against Danny.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Carefully tilting his head, Danny made sure his bangs brushed over his eyes and his glasses slid down the bridge of his nose the smallest amount. "You seem distracted."

" _If we weren't in a hallway full of teenagers at the moment I would be throwing you up against the wall and fucking you bare before you could even blink_." Oh. Oh, alright, aha. Okay. That- That hadn't been expected. And Ghostspeak. Right. That- Danny might have riled Andrew up a bit too much, this time.

"I, um, homeroom? Aha, yeah, homeroom. That, I should go and do that." Danny had a feeling he was the one blushing now, but it was hardly his fault. That- He hadn't expected that. Or the look Andrew gave him as he quickly fled to the classroom.

"Isn't there that saying of playing with fire?" Sam fell back into step with him, Tucker on the other side and doing _nothing_ to hide his laughter. The traitor.

"I hate you."

::

Danny had barely walked through the door to Andrew's classroom for lunch when he was roughly shoved up against it, lips claiming his own and hands pinning his wrists to the door. When he was allowed to _breath_ , he saw Andrew was smirking down at him, eyes swirling between their usual green and a sharp purple and oh. Oh, that was new. Andrew never lost control of himself to the point _his_ powers started acting up. "You know, I think it's a little frowned upon for teachers to be acting like this with their students." Danny had aimed for cocky but it came out more breathless than anything.

"You don't seem to be complaining very much, mon cher étudiant." Oh, aha, that was new. The student part of that- Were they still playing the game? Danny wasn't sure anymore, and that was mostly because Andrew was mouthing kisses down the column of his neck, still keeping him pinned in place.

"That-" He didn't even get a word out before he was sucking in a harsh breath, feeling the way his body shook as Andrew bit sharply at a patch of skin, scarf already unwound and hanging loosely on his shoulders - when had Andrew gotten it off? " _Andy_."

"So informal, too! We really should fix that, mon cher." A strangled moan was Danny's response, mostly due to the fact Andrew's knee was pressed up between his legs, rubbing at him in just the right way to feel _so good_. "It'd be a shame if you were to slip up in front of your peers during class."

"Is this because of the glasses?" Okay, so the question was less smooth, like Danny wanted, and more blurted out.

"Partly." At least he was honest about the matter and oh- Okay. Andrew was moving his knee again and Danny just realized he had forgotten how to even _think_. "Largely it's because I didn't see you all weekend. Then of course you had to come back and start playing your little game, and, well…" Andrew's voice was rough and low, the tone utterly _sinful_ as he playfully nipped at Danny's ear. "How was I ever supposed to resist?"

"We're- We're still in school, you know." Blazing energy sparked and swirled around him, stealing his breath away before Danny realized he was on a flat, soft surface. That was about all he realized before Andrew was kissing him again, hands sliding under his clothes and leaving heated trails across his body.

"As far as I'm aware, students are allowed to go off-campus for lunch once they're in junior year." Was that true? Danny really didn't care as long as Andrew kept touching him because _god_. "Now, shall I give my 'favorite student' some extra attention?"

" _Please_." At least one thing could be said. Andrew always gave Danny what he asked - begged - for, and this time was no exception, and, really.

Glasses weren't so bad if they earned him days like _this_.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

::

"For the last time, Mr. Weston, I am not accepting your assignments when all of them revolve around 'unmasking' Phantom. If you want to create an essay detailing ways in which you think Phantom is masquerading as a human in the school in _French_ , then I'll accept it in French class. Not Creative Writing." Honestly, the child didn't even have any idea which student it was, just that Phantom was a 'high school student'.

"Now, if we're through with interruptions, then please take out your notebooks. I have a few warm-up exercises I want you to try-" The high, sharp sound of glass shattering had Andrew throwing a shield up around the students before he was even aware of the action, eyes wide as he saw _Danny_ tumble into the classroom through the _window_. He wasn't sure if him being in his ghost form made the situation better or worse. "Evac?"

It took a moment before Danny was groaning and trying to push himself up, Andrew dropping the shield and flying over at once to help him. "Guys-in-White. Non-threat."

"To them, perhaps. You? Not so much." Danny needed to change back before the scanners found him, but that was a little hard when he had just crashed into a class in session. "How far?" A loud bang sounded from the front of the school. Looking around, Andrew swore quietly to himself as he shoved Danny under his desk. "Suppress your signature, stay there and _do not_ move."

"Andy-" Covering Danny's mouth, Andrew pushed him further under the desk. It was only a moment before he broke, clutching Andrew's hand and pulling it away to speak quietly. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Of course not. I leave that up to you." Giving him a quick kiss, Andrew pushed his desk chair over to hide Danny as best he could, a flick of his hand directing his powers to take care of the broken glass and window.

Sensitive ears caught the sound of quickly approaching humans with some rather dangerous equipment. Smirking, Andrew silently held a finger to his lips as he looked to his class. "Not a word." Turning to the board, Andrew began writing as he spoke. "These warm-ups should help you get loose to allow your ideas to flow, instead of stifling them-"

This time he was cut off by the door being kicked open, Andrew making sure to flinch an appropriate amount as he fumbled with his marker. Turning around - clumsily, he made sure - he let his eyes widen at seeing the two agents standing in the doorway. "Ghost. You're coming with us."

"Wha- On what _grounds_! You're the ones bursting into my class with guns!" Andrew let his mouth click shut as one of said guns was leveled at him, trying to keep his body tense as he took a stumbling step back.

"Amity Park is a ghost-free zone since the 1920s. Any ghost caught on this land is in violation of the law and must be taken in for relocation." Relocation. More like experimentation.

"That law was abolished two years ago! In court, mind you." Surprisingly enough, it had been Plasmius who overturned the law, once he managed to prove a great majority of the ghosts were peaceful. "Yet here you are breaking into a school with weapons and holding a _teacher_ at gunpoint." When the agents glanced to the students, Andrew took the chance to give the class a wink and quick smirk. No need to frighten them too badly in this little game. "Ask the school if you don't wish to believe me, but I am employed with full credentials."

"Save it, ghost, we didn't even come here for you. We're here for the ghost that's hiding under your signature." Damn. Andrew supposed it had been too much to hope Danny had been quick enough to get off the radar. "And _this_ one we can hunt freely, since it's shown to be a public menace and threat."

"Hey! Phantom isn't a threat!" Oh, no, no. The last thing Andrew needed was a room full of wildcards. "He's the town hero and-"

"It's a monster that's deceiving you, and you would do better to learn that now instead of regretting it later." The agent hadn't even taken a full step forward before Andrew was in front of him, forcing him to take a step back instead.

"I will not have you threatening my students. Now leave, before I am forced to call in the authorities. No doubt you organization is already on shaky ground with those trifling _legalities_ you manage to constantly ignore." It was a fight to shake in fear at the gun that was pressed under his chin. He so badly wanted to reach for his knives. Just one knife. One would be all that was needed…

"Watch yourself, ghost. You and your kind will come to an end soon enough, but fine. You want to play? We'll be sure to pay you a visit later." Keeping his gaze to the ground, Andrew let his body shake until he was certain they were halfway down the hall, door slammed shut behind them.

"Despicable filth." Brushing himself off, Andrew threw his marker in the air, devoting a portion of his attention to his powers using it to write on the board. "Write at least three prompts. Fifteen minutes to be handed in at the end of the session. It's an exercise so it doesn't have to be polished or completed, just have something shown."

Seeing at least five hands dart up, Andrew sighed and shook his head. "I'll… I'll explain and answer your questions in fifteen minutes. For now do your work." He didn't wait to see if they would comply, instead walking over to his desk and pulling the chair out. Bending down, Andrew sighed as he saw Danny pressed up and tucked against a corner. "How bad?"

"You're never this hard on our class, you know. Now I see why the students both admire _and_ fear you." Breathing still seemed a bit off, but Andrew could contribute that to hysterics. The Guys-in-White had started as a joke but… They had certainly become a threat along the way. "They didn't get any good hits in."

"Meaning they still managed to get _some_ in." Reaching under the desk, Andrew pulled Danny more into the light, noticing the wince at once. "Where."

"Along my back. Snuck up on me. Burns, but I don't think I'm bleeding." Which meant he still could be and just wasn't aware of it. "They don't hurt that badly."

"Now is a very poor time to lie to me, mon cher." Not when he was so wound up and he had a knife. He had multiple, he always did. It wouldn't take much to catch up to them. To pin them down and force his blades into them and just a few good minutes-

"It hurts." It took effort to hear Danny's voice, quiet as it was. "It hurts but I've had worse. I'll be okay, Andy, I promise." Still shaking, and the fact that stubborn Danny hadn't been able to even hide his wince…

"Come on, mon cher. You're going home and I'm having Randy look after you." Not giving the teen a chance to protest, Andrew pulled him out completely and picked him up. No tail… "Legs?"

"Left thigh." At least the teen knew it was pointless to argue, Danny letting himself be gently set down on Andrew's desk. "I also banged my wrist a little when coming in through the window, but I swear that's it."

"That you know of," Andrew muttered, tangling a hand in Danny's hair, free hand fiddling with his phone. A quick description of everything - as detailed as he could get it - and Randy was shooting back a short message of being on his way.

"You really don't need to have Randy come get me. I'll be fine in a few hours. I mean, it's just a few scrapes!"

"From guns designed to hurt ghosts." It was a bit amusing at how half the class jumped at Randy's sudden appearance, Danny doing nothing but groaning. "Yeah, yeah, complain all you want."

"Back, left thigh, wrist, possible cuts from crashing into my classroom through a window. A _closed_ window," Andrew emphasized at Randy's forming grin. "He takes after you."

"I choose to take that as a compliment. Alright, come on, petit mec." Randy had one of his bubble shields around Danny before anything else, the teen giving Andrew the most betrayed expression he could. "Let's get you patched up."

"I'll see you after school." Alright, Andrew may have taken a bit too much enjoyment out of Danny's offended expression. Although any smile he had dropped as the two disappeared and left him with a classroom full of curious teenagers. "You better have those prompts finished."

::

"I really am fine, you know." Danny didn't even know why he was trying. If there was anyone worse than Jazz and Andrew when it came to worrying over him, it was _Randy_. "It's not like I'm bleeding-"

"No, you just had your skin burned by weapons designed to destroy creatures made of ectoplasm. If anything, that's _worse_ for you because your structure is still half-human." Squeaking as the bubble shield disappeared and he was suddenly dropped, Danny blinked at realizing it was in Randy's nest of a den in his own lair. "Suit off."

"Guess you and Andy really _do_ share well." Screw it, if Danny was going down, then he was taking Randy with him. Unfortunately, he forgot for a moment that his shy and dorky Randy was also worse than Andrew when he got in the mindset for it.

"Oh, my sweet." Fingertips rested under his chin and tilted his head up, the words a soft croon that wrapped around him. "You have no idea." A hand slipped around to cup the back of his neck, touch slipping just below the collar of his jumpsuit. "If you really aren't hurt, though…" The touch slipped lower, Danny's breath hitching and catching in his throat before he was shivering as his suit was phased off of him entirely. "Then you won't mind me checking just to make sure."

Oh. That… That was _mean_. That was just… "You're not good for my heart." Huffing at the small pat to his cheek, Danny stuck his tongue out and watched as Randy teleported a few things to the bed.

"I'm rarely good for anyone's heart, petit mec. Now, show me where it hurts the most." Realizing he wasn't going to be getting out of it, Danny sighed and shifted to where his back was to Randy, head and shoulders tilted down so he could see better. A sharp breath and a hiss of a swear told him all he needed to know.

"That bad, huh?" Maybe he should thank Andrew for sending him home early, because even with how good he was at blocking out pain, this was starting to get to him. He could only imagine how worse it would be if he had shifted back. "How long should I stay in ghost form?"

"Until Andrew gets home, at the least." There were quiet sounds that drifted up after a moment. Randy shifting on the bed, the snap of something being opened - the first-aid kit, probably. The crinkling of plastic and soft ting of jars being knocked against each other. "Right, lucky for you I know my poisons and antidotes. I have some burn salve here I made from some Ghost Zone flowers so that should speed along your recovery-"

"What the hell how do you keep getting cooler?" It was a struggle to not turn around and glare because, no. It was unfair for Randy to be this cool. "That's not fair, Randy. Stop being cool."

"I can't stop being who I am." Ugh, the jerk. Danny wanted to keep him for… Well. For forever. "This might sting a little."

"I was just shot by the Dicks-in-White, I think I can handle a little-" Danny's words were forcibly cut short with his own whimper, hands darting to find something to grasp onto. He ended up finding Randy's arm, which had wrapped around his waist in order to pull him into his lap so he could more easily work on his back.

"Ssh, it's alright, Danny, it's alright. I've got you." Randy's words were soft and compelling, Danny forced to focus on them instead of the pain. "That's right. See? You'll be okay. You always are, mon petit héros."

Danny wasn't sure how long it was until the pain finally dulled to a haze instead of a roar. He was vaguely aware of Randy wrapping up his back with bandages - must have been really bad, then. "I hate your burn salve."

"Rapid healing at the sacrifice of extreme pain." Randy sounded apologetic, tucking Danny close before kissing his cheek. It was an action that should not have had Danny blushing as badly as he knew he was. "I wouldn't have used it in normal circumstances, but… It was bad, Danny."

"Their weapons are getting better, then." Feeling his hurt wrist taken, Danny glanced down to see Randy's left arm was still around him, his right hand feeling around the area for anything broken. Danny didn't bother hiding his wince or small hiss. "There- That. Ow."

"Not broken, at least. Don't even think it's sprained, you just really jostled it when landing." Randy gently let Danny's wrist go before giving him a small nudge. "Alright, let me see your thigh."

"What?" Oh. Okay. Voice crack. That was a thing- . "I mean- Um, okay? No- What?" Danny was pretty sure he was blushing, and it probably got worse when Randy buried his face against Danny's neck to hide laughter. "Shut up!"

"Easy, petit mec. Andy said you got hit there, too. Did you?" Oh. Right. Shifting and squirming - and doing his best to not stretch his back - Danny managed to get turned around in Randy's lap until he was sitting sideways, left leg hooked over the man's own. "Comfy?"

"I am. You Riters are very fluffy, after all," Danny smirked, poking at Randy's stomach and laughing at the unimpressed look he was given. "If it helps, Andy's more so than you are."

"That's because _I_ stayed active after the Sect. Andy shut himself away in a library all those years and let himself go. Stay still, okay? I don't want to hurt you if the burn is too bad." With that, gentle hands were shifting and moving Danny until Randy could see the burn that was on the inside of his thigh and this was _really_ the wrong time for Danny to be aware of the fact he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

"Worse or better than the back?" Fingertips were prodding and skimming across the skin, Danny closing his eyes before realizing that made it so much worse.

"Um, better? I mean, it doesn't hurt as much, at least."

"That's not always a good thing." With his eyes closed, Danny realized just how tightly pressed against Randy he was, and how much _bare skin_ of his was being touched and oh, god. He was going to hell, wasn't he? "Easy, Danny. Just relax."

"That is so not helping me relax." That was making him unrelax. By a very large amount. It was made worse by the fact his thighs were a sensitive area to begin with. "Is this going to hurt as much as the back?"

"Not nearly as much. The burn isn't too bad, looks like it skimmed you instead of a full hit, like on your back." Cracking his eyes open, Danny watched as Randy moved to grab a small jar of faintly glowing salve, unscrewing the lid and getting a good amount before moving to rub it against the inside of his thigh.

It was upsetting how Danny couldn't hide his squeak at the shock of cold, especially considering the cold was his _thing_. "Not one word." As requested Randy stayed silent, although his did let slip a few chuckles as he tightened his arm around Danny for a moment. "You're being unbearably cruel today, you know."

"I guess this is my own little form of revenge." Over _what_ \- Ooh. Okay. Danny might have tormented Andrew and Randy equally with his new glasses a few days ago, but in his defense, Andrew had made good on those 'threats' that day in the school halls. "Lucky for you I'm not as cruel as Andy."

"Very lucky," Danny agreed, hissing when he felt the salve start to work. Which meant a fierce burning pain all along his leg, only soothed as Randy gently rubbed against the spot, working the salve in deeper. "I don't know if I hate your salves or love them."

"Trust me, many feel the same." The two were quiet for a moment, Danny trying to focus on anything besides the pain and Randy when he heard the other speak again. "The Guys-in-White are getting more dangerous."

"Yeah… Yeah, they are." Something would have to be done about them. They were a threat to the ghosts and even the other ghost hunters. "Think there's a way we can deal with them?"

"Maybe. For now let's just avoid them for a while. Let the other ghosts and hunters know and just keep our distance." Nodding, Danny yawned as the pain started to fade for Randy's soothing ministrations, the hand wrapped around him tracing gentle circles on his hip. "Go ahead and take a nap, petit mec. You need the rest."

"Mm." This felt… He had curled up with Randy when asleep before, but right now felt _different_. The air was thicker, and there was something there that felt like it could snap at any moment. "You'll stay here, right?"

This time, when lips brushed against his cheek, Danny arched into the touch instead of getting the urge to flinch away. "For as long as you want me."

"Forever."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

::

"Alright, class, today we're going to have a little halloween treat!" Oh, that sounded _so_ delightful. Danny barely spared the board a glance before he was returning his attention to his phone, and the rant Randy was going on about clients who didn't give the full detail of the jobs. Apparently the latest ghostly artifact he had been after wasn't as abandoned as he had been made to believe. "Since today is all about scaring each other, I thought you might get a kick out of learning about today's more modern assassins." Oh, that had Danny looking right up.

"Now before you all laugh or think I'm making this up, assassins _do_ still exist today, not just in our movies and books. A horrible thing, to be sure, but an important part of history. I was going to just discuss one today, but when looking them up I found the most infamous one had a partner they were never seen without.

"They were most active during the late sixties and most of the seventies and did their work in France and Great Britain." No. There was no way- Sitting up, Danny narrowed his eyes up at the board, trying to decipher the teacher's _horrible_ handwriting. "Mind you, I couldn't find much in the way of specifics, but I did manage to discover that they worked for a religious order. One that killed whoever they deemed as 'sinners'."

This was happening. Scrambling for his phone, Danny quickly hid it under his desk before hitting record, hoping the microphone was close enough to pick out what the teacher was saying because this was _amazing_. "This order's most well-known assassins were the Priest of Death and White Fang." It was such a hard fight for Danny to hold in his laughter, a hand pressed hard over his mouth as he shook from the effort. "Now, I know it might be _scary,_ to some of you-" Oh god he wasn't going to make it. "-but just know that while this is all true, it's nothing you have to worry about, alright? These two are long gone."

Burying his face in his arms, and phone left balanced in his lap, Danny knew his squeaks of laughter were probably being recorded for when he showed Randy and Andrew later. "Now, the Priest of Death was said to be the most _dangerous_ of all the assassins, accepting any job he was given and never once failing in a task. He sang his 'lullaby of death' as he stalked the streets, always on the hunt for a new sinner to kill." This was beautiful. "He was utterly loyal to the order and followed no one's orders but theirs. White Fang, on the other hand, was loyal to none but the Priest." They got that part right, at least.

"White Fang was far more feral, far more vicious, and far more _wild_. There was never any mercy shown on his kills, and he never went into battle without the blessing of the Priest. While the Priest of Death was more well-known, White Fang was more feared." That had Danny's laughter calming down because now that the thought on it… He didn't know much about Randy's assassin life. He knew plenty about the Priest thanks to Andrew, but 'White Fang' had always just been lurking in the background. To think of Randy being more feared and even more wild and feral than he was now…

"These two were deadly, graceful, and never made a mistake when-" The teacher was cut off by loud laughter, and Danny was a mix of embarrassed and startled to realize it was his own, but, really. 'Graceful and never made a mistake'. Randy walked into a wall full on last night and Andrew tripped over the coffee table when getting ready for work that _morning_. "Is there a problem with my lesson, Fenton?"

"No, ma'am, not at all. I just, um, remembered a funny joke." Stopping the recording, Danny tucked his phone away and shot the woman a brilliant smile. "May I be excused? I need to use the bathroom." Although he was given a rather dirty look, the eventual nod had him quickly gathering his things and fleeing the classroom.

Andrew and Randy were going to _love_ this.

::

When a ghost attack happened at the school, it usually took place inside. Or at least in the air above the school. Not often was a ghost seen crashing to the lawn with enough force to leave visible skid marks across the grass. Even rarer was when humans were chasing it. Especially two humans who looked like _teenagers_.

"Wulf, they said your name was…" School was out and students were amassed at the front of the school, near all of them quiet at the sudden ghost attack. Many were tensed, waiting to figure out if they should run towards or away from the school. As such, it was easy to hear what one of the teeangers was saying. "My apologies, Wulf, but I'm afraid your second chance has been revoked."

The ghost that had fallen to the ground - a hideous beast that looked like a near werewolf - gave a growl in the direction of the one who had spoken, the teen tilting his head with a grin. "My, my… You couldn't have expected to live forever, now could you? Death comes to us all. You were just granted a temporary reprieve."

The teenager was dressed like… Like a preacher, almost. Although the grin on his face spoke of nothing holy. The other seemed older, and was dressed in shades of white, pacing behind the younger with a feral grin on his face. One that was far too wide, and far too wild. The ghost, Wulf, snapped back in a haunting, screeching language that it seemed only ghosts were capable of. The younger teenager laughed.

"Us? We've come to do the Lord's work and deliver you home, of course. To take your tainted and blackened soul and give it to our Lord Most High for His judgement, and His alone. We're His devoted children, here to serve Him in all manners He sees fit. We're the Priest of Death and White Fang… And your time is at it's end."

At this, students had either fled back inside to get help or were pressed against the walls, huddled together because they _knew_ those names. They had seen the pictures in class, and the weapons at their side were certainly not part of any costume. "Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy." The Priest spoke quietly, but his voice seemed to echo loud enough to be heard by all. "Let an accuser stand at his right hand."

White Fang was slipping out from behind the Priest and stalking towards Wulf, circling him with that same feral smile, almost seeming to herd him away from the other students. The ghost hardly seemed to know what he was doing, instead growling and forming the claws that some of them knew could be used to make portals. "When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him."

The Priest had started moving himself, a wicked sharp dagger appearing in hand as he circled around the other way, eyes trained on the ghost and grin utterly wicked. They looked more like devils than they ever would angels. "May his days be few." The grin became even wider as his tone came out a near purr.

"Amen."

At once, as if on command, White Fang had launched himself towards the ghost, guns in hand as he fired. It was so quick that the students hardly saw a thing before he was skidding across the grass and falling into step beside the Priest, a growl of his own leaving his throat. A split second later and three knives were flying through the air, Wulf just barely dodging in time so as to have the knives cut through his clothes, instead of him.

It seemed like an overwhelming realization to everyone watching that the two were merely _playing_ with him, like a cat would with a mouse. Or like a predator before it's dinner. Another few 'blows' and Wulf was giving another growl, slashing his claws through the air and ripping a portal into existence. Before he could jump through it, White Fang was near running on all fours himself before tackling the ghost to the ground, one gun over his neck, and another over his core.

The entire area was utterly silent before a soft humming was heard from the Priest. A tune that sounded terrifying, and overwhelming, and like something Death himself would sing to the lost souls. " _The bell chimes one, the battle's begun_ ~" Laughing, he sheathed his knives. "It would be rather boring to take you now, I believe… Brother." A flash and White Fang was back by Andrew's side, staring quietly at Wulf. "Run, run, run, little sinner. But please do remember something… Death always wins. After all." A sharp grin, the Priest looking in no way _human_.

"It beat us, too…"

Just like that, the two assassins were gone.

Across the street and on top of a foreclosed apartment building, Danny Fenton watched it all, as well as the ensuing chaos of the students below. His gaze only broke when he turned to look behind him at the signatures of two very amused ghosts, "I rather think that went well." The 'Priest of Death' faded away to reveal an amused Andrew Riter, not an ounce of madness in his eyes. "You have very creative ideas of 'fun', mon cher. You're also rather lucky Wulf agreed to play along with this plan."

"We'll have to thank him for all his help, later. He's pretty fun to spar with, though…" White Fang's own illusion had faded for Randy's usual look, the man running a hand through his hair and ruffling it back into it's typical style. As usual, he was the first to notice the conflicted expression on Danny's face. "Danny? You alright?"

Staring at them for a few moments longer, Danny finally steepled his fingers and put them in front of his mouth, "How do I put this…" What he had just seen, everything that the two had done and the way they had acted when in their 'personas'... "You two were hot as hell." Ah, good. Both of them were blushing now. "This was the best plan I've ever come up with. We should do this next year- We should do this every year."

"I'm not quite sure about that, but…" Andrew crossed his arms, looking over to Randy with the beginnings of a smile. "It was a bit of fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Randy moved to drag Andrew into a hug, kissing his cheek, and, hm. Danny should probably not enjoy that sight as much as he did. "It was."

"Good. We've agreed that my plans are the best and should always be followed and- Ooh! Maybe next year you could be chasing after _Phantom_." Being hunted down by two powerful and deadly assassins who wanted nothing more than to catch him…

"Danny, stop thinking about threesomes." Andrew's voice snapped him right out of his thoughts, Danny staring at him in pure horror.

"Wha- I am _not_!" Not technically, at least. "Shut up! Just- No. No. You Ruthless Riters are horrible, you know that, right?"

"Ruthless we may be, but at least we have our own little Fearless Fenton to keep us on track," Randy near _purred_ , a hand cupping Danny's chin and tilting his head up so Randy could place a fluttering kiss against his cheek. "Going after Phantom next year sounds fun." Oh. Oh, he was so far in over his head.

He found he didn't much mind anymore.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour, mes chers! So terribly sorry about the wait but I hope you can forgive me as I give to you 21k words and as well a rather well put together smut scene, if I do say so myself.

**Chapter Twenty**

**::**

"Oh, yes, the groaning. I know, I know, it's a terrible and cliche assignment." Andrew wasn't very happy about the assignment himself, but at least he kept his visible disappointment to a minimum. "'Write about what you're thankful for'. Unfortunately for you all this class _does_ have some mandatory curriculum and assignments, this being one of them."

Letting his powers take over writing on the board, Andrew gathered up the papers and started handing them to students in the front row to pass back. "This assignment does have merits, however. It's a good way to put our thoughts in order and to reflect on the things we're truly grateful for in life. Family, friends, or even just the fact you're still here, still learning and growing." Right, the distant looks meant he was getting a bit too philosophical. He'd save it for if he ever taught college classes one day.

"Since this assignment is so open-ended I'm only giving you a word count goal of five hundred, due right before Thanksgiving break. Anything goes as long as you list at least one thing you're thankful for, and _why_ you're thankful for it. Any writing format and narrative counts, so if you want to write it as a conversation between yourself and another person or character, that's acceptable. I will be grading on grammar for this one, as well, since midterms are coming up soon. _Please_ use a spellchecker, even if it's just right-clicking on the red lines under the words."

Letting the marker fall back into his hand, Andrew capped the lid on the marker and looked to his classroom, making sure they all at least looked like they had a vague idea of what was going on. "That's it for today. You're free to escape."

As usual, the students flocked to the door in droves, Andrew trying not to visibly roll his eyes at the predictability of teenagers. At least no one was stopping by his desk to try and 'confess' to him. Honestly, the fact he was a ghost and near their parents' age mentally did nothing at all to dissuade them. He blamed all the 'immortal love stories' that were published these days.

Now that he thought about it, the lack of confessions probably had to do with Danny's little 'jealous' act of glaring whenever another student tried to flirt with him. Although Andrew wasn't quite sure if the behavior was _entirely_ part of his act.

Pausing from where he had started to clean the board, Andrew glanced over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. "I swear if you're trying to do more 'training'-"

"You have to keep in shape _somehow_ ," Randy faded back into view, hovering over the floor with a wide grin. "Just because we no longer work for the Sect doesn't mean we can neglect our training."

"Training for what?" Andrew tossed an eraser to Randy, trying not to smile as the man immediately went to work at helping him tidy up the classroom. "For you and your jobs, yes. Me? I'm a teacher, in case you've forgotten."

"Exactly! You need the training more than anyone, considering the hell those little demons put you through daily." It probably would have been easier to scoff if Andrew wasn't working so hard on not laughing. "Even Danny keeps up with his training."

"'Hero' training is very different from assassin training, I'll have you know." Far as he was concerned, Randy and Danny could release their pent up sexual tension all they wanted, but Andrew was staying far away from the mess that would bring.

"You'd be surprised." Speaking of pent up sexual tension… Andrew glanced behind him, Randy's face barely an inch away from his own from where he was so tightly pressed against his back. "Just one little training session?"

Sparring with the two of them before being pinned to the ground, a body pressed tightly against his and panting for breath with sweat and tension and a pounding core- Aha. No. That was- No. Well… "I thought White Fang was supposed to be done tempting the sinners."

"Now whoever said that." Randy's voice was a near _purr_ , lips brushing against the tip of his ear and oh, that should feel nowhere near as good as it did. He might have been the one to say that they didn't need to put a label on what they were, but there were times where Randy was so good at running him around in circles and he just wanted to _know_. "'What I'm thankful for', though, really? Isn't that a bit cliche? Even for you?"

"It's not like I have the ability to reject all school-" Pausing, Andrew shot Randy as nasty a look as he could manage. "And just what, Randall, do you mean by 'even for me'."

"Mon petit frère chéri." Their native tongue came out in a soft croon, Randy slipping around so easily to cup his cheek and stare down at him. And this… This was it. This was the moment everything changed. Andrew could feel it with the sharp crackle of tension in the air, the beating of both their cores, Randy's soft gaze trained on him and him alone, and a body that was moving closer… Closer… "Have you read your books?"

"Remind me why I haven't killed you, yet?" Slumping, Andrew didn't bother to fight against the hold as Randy pulled him in for a hug. "Yes, yes, I love you too." A little too much, it felt like. "Now help me get ready for my next class."

"But that's so much _effort_ , and, really, Andy, I have work of my own I need to be doing. I just got this job offer-"

"Danny will be here for lunch."

"I'll get the broom."

::

"My, my, you have been busy, darling. A run in with the Guys-in-White, a game you've got the school wrapped up in, and now playing with the feelings of the only people in your life who have ever felt close to you. Such productivity!"

The halls were empty, Danny noted. That was good, since he could feel his power thrumming under his skin, buzzing and building like something about to explode. It was only the thought of giving her the satisfaction that kept Danny from changing and charging ahead. "Spectra. It's been so long I thought I got lucky and you finally pissed off the wrong person."

"Oh, no, don't worry about me, dear." Spectra gave a smile that was all teeth, human disguise fading to reveal twisting shadows of malice. "I know my limits." The jab was clear, and Danny wished it didn't pick at him like it did.

"Then you should know pissing me off like this isn't going to help you in the long run. I only have so much patience, Spectra." Because he had at least admitted that much to himself. He may have been a hero, but that didn't mean he saw the good in everyone. Not when they didn't deserve it.

"You really are becoming like him, aren't you," Spectra cooed, hand reaching closer. Danny had the ghost pressed against the lockers before he even knew what he was doing, hands filled with blazing energy. "So quick to resort to violence. The similarities are uncanny."

"Andy isn't _anything_ like that anymore." He could feel the growl rumbling through him, a tone of voice that wasn't truly his. Wasn't _human_. A voice like that could never belong to someone human. "He's not the Priest!"

"I wasn't talking about the little Priest you're so enamoured with, Danny dear," Spectra laughed, sharp nails of her own digging into Danny's arm, drawing blood easily. Danny did his best to not flinch, only glaring and pushing her further into the lockers. "I'm talking about that little future of yours you try so hard to hide."

 _Amity Park burning and destroyed and everyone dead and red and green and they bled bled beld and there was so much death and destruction and he couldn't breathe but it was him it was him at the center of it all and there was no one left there was just rage and hate and malice and don't you get it don't you_ _**get** _ _it_

" _You don't get it, do you? I'm still here._ _ **I still exist**_ _. That means_ _ **you**_ _still turn into_ _ **me**_ _."_

"You're already so much like him," Spectra laughed, and for a moment Danny saw nothing but red. "Did you really think you could escape your future that easily, Danny? Your fate? After all, there's a reason you feel so comfortable around killers."

Danny was throwing Spectra across the hall before launching himself after her, not able to pinpoint the moment he changed to Phantom and only aware of the rage that was consuming him. "Don't you dare- Don't you _dare_ compare that monster to them! Don't you dare compare him to _me_!" He wasn't Dan. He _wasn't_. He was never going to become him he would sooner _die_ -

"The solution is simple, Danny." Spectra's voice curled around him like smoke, obscuring everything else. "You know it as well as I do." Would sooner die… "There's only one way to make sure that future never comes to pass." If he stopped everything now, he would never change. Never grow any different. If he were to stop aging, stop _living_ …

"Danny?" Eyes wide, Danny shot his gaze over to… To Randy. What was Randy doing there? "Are you alright? Did you just fight someone?" Was he- Oh. Spectra was gone.

"Ye… Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. And I wouldn't call it a fight- You didn't feel any ghost signatures?" Because Randy was better at that than Danny sometimes, and _he_ was the one with the ghost sense.

"I felt something off, but not any specific ghosts." Letting himself switch back to his human form, Danny blinked as he felt hands cup his cheeks, blue eyes staring into his own. "There's darkness around you." Before Danny could even question _that_ , Randy was shaking his head. "Come on, Andy's waiting for us. It's time for lunch."

"Yeah." He hadn't felt Spectra. How had he not felt Spectra? Had she even _been_ there. His arm wasn't bleeding anymore, but that could just be from where he had changed to his ghost form and then back. "What are you doing here, anyways?"

"Bothering Andy." Faking a smile, Danny followed after Randy down the halls, eyes straying to where he had last seen Spectra. He… He couldn't have imagined that whole thing, right? Stress could cause him problems, sure, but _hallucinating_? And something like _that_? There… There was just no way.

Right?

::

"I'm worried about Danny." Blinking up at Randy, it took a moment for Andrew to register the concern in the older's voice. As soon as he did, he was swiveling his chair around and giving Randy his undivided attention.

"Whatever happened at the school?" There hadn't been much. Some strange ghostly energy, but there had been no other signatures besides Danny's. Randy had only mentioned something about darkness before distracting the two of them with talk all throughout lunch.

"It's wrong." Randy was pacing across the floor of the work room they were in, nervously tapping out a rhythm against the guns holstered at his side. Not a good sign. Vidya seemed to notice as well, an uneasy snippet of a song swirling around Andrew's head. "There's- There's this _darkness_ clinging to him."

"You said that before, but I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean, grand frère." It was true that Randy had always been the empathic sort, but sometimes it seemed as if he could _feel_ the emotions of others… A latent ghost power, perhaps. "Depression?"

"Darker. That was there, yeah, no doubt. Anxiety, too. But this was… This was darker. Heavier. I don't know how to explain it, Andy, I just know something is wrong with him. Or something's bothering him more than ever before."

"Any idea what it could be?" Their relationship - the three of them - would understandably cause a bit of stress and confusion, but this? What Randy was describing? Andrew could think of nothing in Danny's life that could cause as many problems as was being alluded to. "It doesn't seem to be anything in school."

"It's not us, before you suggest it. The only time he seems calm anymore is when he's curled up with me or you." Randy's pacing slowed for a moment, blue eyes swirling with the white of his powers. This really was getting to him. "Enemies? Plasmius and him may have called things even, but there's still others. Spectra, Guys-in-White, even the Observants."

"It's not the Observants, Clockwork would have told us even if Danny didn't. The truce has been working wonderfully for months now. I doubt that it's any average ghost. The Guys-in-White have been quiet. Or at least, I haven't seen them around the school." A few drive-bys, certainly, but nothing that could be credited as outright watching them.

"Spectra?" That… It was easy to tell that Randy's uncomfortable look was mirrored by his own. "He's been having problems with her for years."

"The more recent ones have cropped up in the last few months. He won't tell me much of the fights, if they're even that much, but he has admitted that her words have gotten to him."

"Spectra's words always hit her mark," Randy muttered, collapsing onto a couch with a groan. Rolling his eyes, Andrew absently turned and saved his work before getting up and moving to sit beside him. "That darkness has been there since I met him, but after dealing with Spectra one time, it seemed so much… It seemed heavier. Like a piece of her shadow had crossed into his."

"She's a leech," Andrew shook his head, comfortingly tousling Randy's hair. "She takes, not gives."

"But does she infect?" Silent for a while, Andrew watched as Randy finally sighed, eyes settling down into their usual blue. "Keep an eye on him and any behavior that's out of the ordinary."

"As if you needed to say so," Andrew flicked Randy on the ear, laughing at the betrayed look he was given. "Danny's resilient, if nothing else. I'm happy to protect him and keep him safe, but he's stronger than both of us combined on some days. He'll be okay."

"I hope so." Andrew did, too. Spectra was a leech, but she was a threat, as well. There usually wasn't much worry when it was only brief contact for short amounts of time, but with Danny being exposed in his fights to her… Ones that were becoming more frequent, as well.

Andrew couldn't help but think that Spectra was playing a game only she knew about. A game that she was winning.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

**::**

" _So_." Pulling himself up onto Andrew's desk, Danny absently watched as the man went through graded papers. Lunch breaks were for double-checking, he had discovered. "Guess what interesting rumors are going around now."

"What, no more rumors about how I'm 'fucking you into my desk' every day? How disappointing." Flicking Andrew's ear, Danny grinned at the mild glare he was given.

"Come on now, Andy. Popular rumors never go out of style. But, no. Right now it seems everyone is caught up on just how you died and how you became a ghost." Yep. The look he was given had definitely been worth the work of tracking down all the rumors. "My favorite is where you died in a schoolhouse in the 1920s while trying to stop a mafia-"

"Stop- Just… Just stop there." Andrew was pinching the bridge of his nose and it was making Danny fight to stop his laughter. "Sam came up with that one, didn't she?"

"Kwan, actually." This time Danny actually did break out in laughter at the look. "Hey, it's pretty good! A lot of them seem to revolve around that, and I think most people think your obsession is teaching."

"I'm surprised they know even that much about ghosts, especially after reading some of their Creative Writing assignments."

"I think Mom and Dad have been doing workshops down at the college. Said they saw a few of my classmates there from time to time, so that explains why the whole school knows now." Shifting uncomfortably for a moment, Danny finally just moved to sit in Andrew's lap instead.

"The mistaken belief about my obsession I can handle. It's understandable considering my behavior." Andrew hooked an arm around Danny's middle and pulled him further back, chin settling on top of his head. Danny couldn't find it in him to even pretend to be upset, instead relaxing against Andrew with a content breath. "What I'm trying to figure out is how that translates to a school teacher who died in the 1920s."

"School teacher that died in the 1920s due to the mafia, don't forget that part- Oh! There was another one where you died in France while valiantly throwing yourself in front of a bullet."

"Randy only shot me once, and I didn't die from that." At that, Danny frowned and looked up to Andrew, nudging him with his elbow. "It was a long day." Oh, Danny would definitely be digging into that story later. "Didn't I mention how I died in America?"

"Yeah, you did, in your first French class. I think they just latched onto the 'French' part of that and nothing else though."

"It wouldn't surprise me." Andrew tangled a hand in Danny's hair, Danny letting himself relax into the touch at once, tension draining out of him. "Thank you for the warning, mon cher."

"Mhm. What are mates for?" There were of course a few new rumors about Danny and Andrew and their illicit activities after school hours, but Danny would be saving those for himself. "Oh, yeah, I wanted to run a few ideas by you for the 'what we're thankful for' assignment. From a tutor standpoint."

"Alright." Setting down his pen, Andrew rolled his chair away from the desk a bit, giving them more room. He also shifted so both his arms were wrapped around Danny's waist. "What do you have so far?"

"You and Randy." At the look, Danny couldn't stop a quick laugh from escaping. "Hey, I'm being serious! Hear me out, at least?" Taking the heavy and overly dramatic sigh as a yes, Danny cleared his throat. "Okay, so. What I'm most grateful for is my wonderful mate and his brother. This is because- Stop giving me that look, I'm _trying_ to be mature-"

"'Mature'." Andrew gave him a very telling look, Danny realizing that, yes, okay. Sitting in Andrew's lap and frequently making out with him during school hours probably wasn't all that mature.

"Your point is made, but I _am_ being sort of serious here. Of all the people in my life, you two are definitely the ones I'm most grateful for." That wasn't even an exaggeration. Danny was grateful for everyone in his life, but Andrew and Randy had always been the ones to _understand_. "Before you two, I was always expected to be… To be the hero. I had to be the one to save and protect the entire town. School wasn't supposed to matter as much as the fights, and breaking my grounding was so I could keep helping. So I could keep being a _Fenton_.

"Before you two… I was expected to be the hero and nothing else. Nothing was more important than keeping the town safe, or protecting the citizens. And then you guys came." Leaning back, Danny rested his head against Andrew's shoulder as he smiled up at him. "You showed me it was alright to be a kid, to still be lost and confused rather than having it together all the time. You guys gave _me_ a second chance. You helped me with my schoolwork, gave me the idea of the truce, convinced me to make peace with Vlad and tell my parents. You two have _always_ been protecting me, and if it weren't for you two here…"

Spectra's words swirled around his head again, sharp like daggers and dripping poison. A creepy little kid with creepy little powers. Someone who wasn't fit for either world, tethered to the world of the after but couldn't see fit to survive in the world of the living. "If it weren't for you two, it'd be a lot worse.

"You two are the ones I'm most grateful for." Shifting to where he was straddling Andrew's lap, Danny wrapped him up in as tight a hug as he could. "You two have always, _always_ done your best for me. Whether you're the Priest of Death and White Fang, Ghostwriter and the Mercenary, Andrew Claude Riter and Randall Nicolas Beaumont, or just my dorky Andy and Randy. You two are what is most precious to me, and who I would risk everything for. No matter what."

The silence that followed his impromptu declaration felt peaceful. Warm. As if everything that needed to be said had been- Holy shit was Andrew crying? "Andy? Hey, are you-"

"No!" Andrew was shaking, and it was clear to see that tears were starting to build up in his eyes. "Merely something in my eyes, is all." The man's tone was absolutely _broken_ , and it had Danny smiling as he shifted to wipe the man's tears away.

"Oh?" Kissing at the places they had been, Danny let his hands slip down to cup Andrew's cheeks. "Are they all cluttered up with sentiment, then?"

"Completely," Andrew mumbled, tucking Danny close. "Randy's going to be even worse when I tell him everything you said."

"I'll be prepared for emergency cuddles, then."

::

"You're becoming as bad as Andy, you know." Dropping his backpack on the floor, Danny turned on his heel and dramatically collapsed across the couch. His head landed perfectly in Randy's lap, right over the book he _had_ been reading.

"And you're becoming worse than me," Randy's grin was wide anyways as he ruffled Danny's hair, phasing his book out to instead set it aside. "No Vidya today?"

"Felt like visiting Liz," Danny let himself be pulled closer, smiling at the contact as he squirmed to settle down properly. "She's a sweetheart." There was silence in his head, but Danny felt like Liz would be cooing over him like Vidya if she could. Judging by Randy's expression, she probably was.

"My lair likes you two better than she ever will me, I swear." At the fingers that tangled through his hair and rubbed against his scalp, Danny felt his attention on the conversation disappear for a few seconds. Long enough for Randy to be giving him a strange look after a minute.

"Hm? What?" The laugh felt uncalled for, but Danny supposed he could see where he was coming from. "Run that by me again?"

"I said, you're pretty brave, coming in here after what Andrew told me about your upcoming Thanksgiving assignment." Brave? "You honestly think I'm going to be letting you go after hearing all that?" Oh, okay. Danny was now tightly wrapped up and pressed against Randy and oh- Oh. Okay. Kiss to his cheek. That- That was pretty nice, actually.

"Just speaking from the heart, and all that." Laughing as he was given another peck of a kiss, Danny let himself completely relax against Randy. "So, what are you doing here anyways? All locked away and reading."

"Not really sure I'm 'locked away'," Randy pushed Danny's glasses up for him, the delighted grin telling Danny that, yes. He had actually blushed from something like that. "Doing research for a new job I was hired to do."

"Client?" At the look on Randy's face, Danny groaned as loudly and dramatically as he could, letting his head fall back. "Vlad."

"He's not so bad anymore and you know it," Randy scolded, sounding as if he was trying not to laugh. "He actually wants me to look into the Guys-in-White situation."

"Oh." They really were getting more dangerous if Vlad was concerned, then. "Any news?"

"They're keeping a low profile, but I want to at least try and get in and see their systems. There might be something they found out that could mean bad news for us."

"The fact they're keeping a low profile is what's _worrying_ me," Danny admitted, tucking his face against Randy's neck, trying not to shudder at the memories of his _last_ run in with them. "They've never been afraid to be aggressive."

"Yeah… With each new enemy you deal with, it's like more crop up to take their place." Preaching to the choir. Most of the ghost had settled down, now, and Vlad and him were on good terms these days. Pariah was a threat of the past, and Dan was locked away in the Citadel. Yet still… The Guys-in-White, Spectra, and then who knew what _else_ might have been out there.

"Tell me about it." Things were finally starting to settle down, but Danny couldn't help but feel that something was going to change, and when it did…

Things were never quiet for long in Amity Park.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

::

"Alright, if we go to Liz then that'll at least give us a little extra time before they find us," Randy peeked over the edge of the couch he and Andrew had taken refuge behind, looking for any sort of movement. "The lions have betrayed us. Vidya, too, no doubt. But if we stick together, I know we can handle this."

"I don't know," Andrew muttered, crouched down beside Randy and pressed against the back of the couch. "Considering who we're facing… I don't know if we'll be able to escape this one, grand frère. We just don't have the skills-"

"We are elite assassins trained by the most deadly organization, one that people have feared for hundreds of years and might still exist today. We were their top soldiers, and we never failed any task given to us." Randy had shifted to cup Andrew's cheeks, staring into his eyes with furious intensity. "We have been shaped by battle for longer than we could ever understand. We will _not_ lose to them."

There was a loud crashing sound from the front doors, Randy feeling both of them tense before they were darting to hide among the shelves. They didn't get very far before the stone lions were tackling them and pinning them to the ground. Muted footsteps approached them, sounding somehow even deadlier than heels on stone would have been. "Oh, boys…"

"There's still time to let us go," Andrew spoke quickly, trying to struggle free. Randy already knew it was a losing battle. "You don't have to do this-"

"Forget it, Andy," Randy's tone was drenched with anger, the man glaring up at the woman that had them trapped. "She's already lost to the darkness."

"Honestly, you two are more dramatic than Danny," Jasmine Fenton sighed, giving a shake of her head as she crossed her arms. "Alright, come on, up. We have a thanksgiving dinner to get to, and I am not dealing with Mom and Dad and their ghost crazy on my own this year."

"But what if we don't _want_ to go," Randy whined, not fighting as he was dragged to the Specter Speeder by Mufasa, Sasha dragging along Andrew much the same way. At least they had put up a fight in their attempt to escape. That was something. "Just leave us behind! Say we faded! Say we were captured- Say _anything_!"

"Mm, no. Besides, Danny's been looking forward to having his whole family with him this year around." Looking back, Jazz gave them a look, knowing her words would break them in a second. "Do you really want to ruin that for him?"

"You're so evil." Really, though. This girl was Satan. Or at least one of his minions. Randy was positive of it. "You know we can't say no to that."

"Yes, that's the point," Jazz grinned, patting the lions as the Riters were thrown into the Speeder, not much care given to their landing. "Now, buckle up. We're already running a bit late, as is."

"Please," Randy snorted, Andrew already scrambling for the seatbelt beside him, which, hm. That part was strange. "We're already dead. There's not much-" As the Speeder took off, Randy sorely regretted not putting his seatbelt on sooner.

"Good thing you guys don't really go anywhere," Jazz said once the two were no longer clutching onto the seats for dear life. "Makes it easier to track you down. Speaking of unexpected dinner guests, will it make you feel better to hear that Clockwork will be there?"

Andrew perked up, giving a sharp grin full of teeth, and, really. No wonder Danny always wore that scarf, Randy mused. "What did you have to agree to in order to get _him_ there?"

"I didn't agree to anything," Jazz smiled, even sharper look in her eyes. "I threatened. He wisely chose to appear. Considering how we Fentons always get what we went, he probably went down the path of least resistance."

"This is why the ghosts have started fearing you more than Danny, ya know." Randy shook his head. "Right. Thanksgiving dinner with the Fentons- Should we have brought something? I feel like we should have brought something."

"Now who's the domestic one," Andrew teased, squawking as he was tackled to the floor of the Speeder, Danny now sitting on top of him in his ghost form and kissing him sweetly. Shame Danny did it before Randy could.

"Still you," Randy said, tugging Danny into his lap by the back of his jumpsuit. "Couldn't wait to torment Andy?"

"Nope," Danny preened, nuzzling at Randy's cheek with his own for a moment. "Thanks for agreeing to come to dinner. I know you guys didn't have to." At that, Randy looked to Jazz, who shot them a wicked smirk.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, petit mec. Sam and Tucker stopping by? I remember you complaining about how Tucker always eats all the pie at these things."

"Yeah, they usually eat dinner with their own families and then show up around dessert, so it'll probably be the same this year-" Danny paused, beaming as he seemed to remember something. "Hey, did you hear Jazz convinced Clockwork to come? Isn't that great!"

"You spoil him," Andrew accused, finally moving to sit in the seat beside Jazz in the front. "You spoil him _horribly_."

Jazz gave a sharp snort, raising an eyebrow at the ghost, "I don't even want to _start_ to hear that from you." Well… She had a point. Andrew and Randy would do anything for Danny, no questions asked.

::

"Andrew, Randy! It's so nice to see you two again!" They had barely gotten out of the Speeder before Maddie and Jack were sweeping them up into a hug. While Randy looked amused, Andrew felt like he was about to phase out any second. "I heard you took over the French class."

"I didn't _take_ it over, they forced the position onto me," Andrew calmly explained, quickly moving to stand behind Danny once he was released. "Thank you for having us over today, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton."

"Andrew, we've been over this," Maddie looked 'stern', although even Andrew could see she was trying not to laugh. "We've known each other for years, you can call us Maddie and Jack."

"We _are_ around the same age," Randy _helpfully_ spoke up, Andrew pleased to note that he and Danny had hit Randy at the same time. "Aging doesn't count with ghosts and you know it!"

"Well, now that we're done horrifying each other," Jazz snatched Randy's shirt, dragging him up the stairs. "C'mon, you're the one who cooks, from what I hear. You can help finish dinner before something comes to life."

"I'd say that's impossible, but I heard about the Christmas turkey." As their voices faded up the stairs, Andrew looked down to Danny, ready to say something before squeaking as they were made intangible, Danny flying them through the house and to his room.

"Is there a reason I've suddenly been kidnapped?" Andrew raised an eyebrow, trying to not laugh as Danny transformed and let them both fall the short distance onto the bed. "I assume there's a reason, but with you it's not always clear."

"I find it highly insulting that you would accuse me of _kidnapping_ you-" Cutting the teen off with a kiss Andrew had been wanting to give him for hours, he swiftly sat up and pulled Danny into his lap. "Apology accepted, and be grateful. I saved you from hours of small talk until dinner."

"Oh? Hours, hm…" Andrew really couldn't resist the urge to pull the familiar scarf aside and press a kiss against the side of Danny's neck. It got the desired reaction, Danny squirming in his lap and pressing into the touch at once. "It'll be a while before we're missed, then."

"And- And you call _me_ incorrigible." It was easy to hear the hitch in breath, Danny's face a bright red as he bared more of his neck and arched into the touches. Smirking, Andrew was all too happy to cover Danny in open-mouthed kisses, as well as give a flick of his tongue against a still healing bruise. The simple touch had Danny whining, squirming and twisting in Andrew's lap. " _Andy_."

"Something wrong, mon cher?" Letting his hands clasp Danny's arms, Andrew slid his palms across the bare skin before dropping down to encircle his wrists. "You're the one who brought me up here, after all." He made sure to pair the words with a sharp nip right under Danny's jaw.

"You- You have no shame at all." Cute. It was as if Danny was only just now noticing. Smirking, Andrew twisted them over in a flash, pinning Danny to the bed by his wrists.

"Mm, no. Not when it comes to you." Or Randy, it seemed, but Andrew would much rather focus on Danny at the moment. Especially at the way the teen was squirming underneath him and trying to wiggle free. Andrew quickly silenced him with a deep kiss, withholding a chuckle when Danny opened up to him at once. "Now, I believe you said something about how we had _hours_ before dinner?"

He could tell Danny had heard the lock of the door flipping shut just by the way the teen's eyes widened by a fraction. "Ah, hm. Ye- Yeah."

"Perfect." Because Danny had been acting far too stressed for his liking over the past few days, and it was about time it was put to rights. If that involved Andrew pinning Danny down and leaving bites and kisses to every patch of skin he could reach, well. It didn't seem as if Danny was complaining.

"This had better be going where you're taking it, Andy, or I swear-" Cutting the words off with another kiss, Andrew smirked as he felt Danny press into it at once, another whine at the back of his throat.

"Ssh, don't worry mon cher, don't worry. I'm right here to take care of you," Andrew let his voice go soft and warm, trailing his kisses up to skim behind Danny's ears before he was nipping at the tip and giving it a tug. "I'll take care of everything, my darling."

When Andrew pulled back, it was to see Danny had twisted enough for his shirt to be hiked up to his armpits, eyes swirling with green and breath coming out in sharp pants. "Oh, my poor dear," Andrew cooed, capturing Danny in another kiss, working a leg between Danny's. It was easy to see how excited he was, the poor thing. "Let me help you my sweet. Let me take care of everything…"

::

Tapping his foot against the floor, Randy leaned against the stairwell as he kept an ear on all the sounds in the house. Jazz was finishing up the main course, it seemed. Maddie and Jack were in the basement exclaiming over something - a new invention that turned out right? They had started descending into scientist gibberish, and there was only so much Randy could understand of that.

"Are Andrew and Danny downstairs yet?" Ah, and there was the reason Randy was guarding the stairs and doing his absolute best to keep a neutral, almost bored expression on his face.

"They sound like they're finishing up. Danny usually has trouble with the classics anyway, so I'm not surprised he asked for Andrew's help just to get it out of the way." Yeah. They were certainly finishing up alright, judging by the choked whimpers he heard Danny making every few seconds.

"Dinner will be done in another twenty or so minutes. Make sure they're not late!" Responding with a vague hum, Randy shook his head as he finally let a small blush take over his cheeks. He had always been cautious when visiting Vidya and he didn't automatically see the two, but this… This was just ridiculous.

Throw in their questioning relationship which Randy was still uncertain of and this was just, well. There was a reason Randy was trying to keep his mind off such things at the moment. Sighing, Randy planted himself down on the bottom stairs, absently counting the heartbeats of everyone in the house. Steady, steady, steady, rapid pulse that slowed more and more and… Ah, Danny was finally relaxed, then.

Interesting on how his core beat faster than the average ghost but his heart was so much slower. If he was remembering correctly then Plasmius was much the same, one of the reasons Randy had been cautious of him even before his half-ghost secret had come out into the 'public'.

"Hiding from Jasmine?" A foot had barely nudged him before Randy was snapping out and grabbing Andrew by the ankle, jerking him down to where the man was landing on the step with a small thump. Core still beating a touch too fast, definitely noticeable marks, and a flush on his cheeks and ears that was only just starting to fade. " _Randy_ -"

"Ghost hearing, frérot." He'd say one thing, the two certainly had stamina. They were also quick to piece things together, as Danny was blushing red to the roots of his hair and Andrew was looking a mix between horrified and intrigued. "You two are damn lucky I love you enough to play interference."

"For the whole two hours?" Oh, no. No, no, no. Randy did not like the smirk that Andrew was giving him. Nor the fact Andrew was pressing up against his side and it was really not fair how he still looked messy and thrown together. "Désolé, grand frère. Next time, we'll be sure to invite you along-"

"Nope, no, wow, aha. Okay." Randy slipped off the step at once, trying to ignore Andrew's satisfied smirk and Danny's stifled laughter. "Subject change. Let's talk about the fact that dinner's almost ready to start and our dear Master of Time is-"

"Right on time?" No warning. No core or heart beat, no sound of footsteps, no breathing, no _warning_. A wave of cold ran down his spine, his entire body tense and breath hitching at the one that had just appeared from _nothing_ -

"You know, one of these days you're going to do that and you _will_ float away with a bullet hole." Even with his act of dry humor and partial amusement Randy had a feeling that Andrew had picked up on his distress. Danny, as well, gave him a quick look from where he was jumping down the rest of the stairs. "I'm accusing you of abusing your powers over time."

"A sentiment that has been shared by countless others throughout the millennia." It was always amazing how Clockwork had the same shit-eating grin that Danny did. No wonder they were semi-related. "You have no need to worry, Randall. And it won't be a joke."

"Nope- No. Aha, no, just- No." Randy could feel himself bristling, hackles raising as he glowered down at Clockwork. The elder looked as if Randy was nothing more than a blustering puppy. "No vague hints. You're fully aware I obsess over small, inconsequential details- Jazz! Come control the ghostly menace that _you_ invited!"

"Which one? You or Andrew?" Jazz walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishrag before she was giving a short squeal at seeing Clockwork. "You made it!" A flash and Jazz had one of the most powerful ghosts to ever exist in a tight hug, jabbering on about any and everything as she led him to the kitchen.

"Honestly," Randy tsked, reaching a hand down to finally pull Andrew to his feet. "I can't believe they've only been dating the last few months. They've been making passes for the last _year_ now-"

"Jazz and Clockwork are _what_?" Danny's eyes were wide and genuinely startled, the teen looking between Randy and the kitchen before running after Jazz and Clockwork. "I wasn't told about this- Why wasn't I told about this? Jazz, Clockwork! Why didn't you tell me you were dating!"

"It's nice, isn't it?" Looking back to Andrew, he noticed the man had gently twined their fingers together, soft smile on his face. "Thanksgiving. Actually spending it with a family."

"Spending it _as_ a family," Randy corrected, quickly kissing Andrew's cheek before tugging him along. "Come on, we can set the table while Jazz fends off Danny from picking apart everything we cooked."

"I wish her luck in that aspect," Andrew snorted, purple energy wrapping around the stacks of plates and utensils before a quick hand gesture had them flying to their proper place. "Randy, is it just me or has Danny been using his ghost powers more than usual, lately?"

"It's not just you," Randy sighed, using his own powers to lay out napkins and glasses. It took a bit more concentration since he wasn't used to lifting so much at once. "His ghost powers seem to be _bleeding_ into his human side more."

"I can understand them getting away from him in, hm, extenuating circumstances-" Like when it came to Andrew fucking Danny senseless, no doubt. "-but it's as if it's starting to happen in relaxed moments, as well."

"We'll keep an eye on him. Bring it up to Plasmius if it starts getting out of control or dangerous- Did you just lay out the wrong type of fork?"

"Randall. They're forks. There's no such thing as 'the wrong type'."

"Blasphemy." And yeah, dinner as a family just couldn't be beat.

::

"I'm never going over to your house for dinner again." All three of them were hidden away in one of the rooms in Vidya, collapsed in various positions on the couches and chairs. "How did… It was going so well."

"If it helps, this is normally how thanksgiving dinners end," Danny groaned from where he was lying on top of Andrew, who was near unconscious as far as Randy could tell. "Things go fine in the beginning, a fight about _something_ starts up, food comes to life, and we have a battle royale to destroy everything before it takes over Amity Park."

"There was a time in my life where I could never imagine how stuffing could be terrifying. Now I can imagine it so well." Shuddering, Randy shook his head. Clockwork had been vicious, as well. "It only got worse when Sam and Tucker showed up."

"I'm up for pretending this day never happened if you are," Danny muttered, Randy pleased to note that Andrew was just as quick to agree as he was. "Next time, we should go out to a diner or something."

"Next year, I'm cooking dinner and keeping you two away from the possibility of another death," Randy yawned, flicking his hand and teleporting a blanket over to fall over Andrew and Danny, the former of which was now _really_ asleep.

Watching them for a moment, Randy couldn't stop the small smile that took over his face. It was nice having a family again. With Danny here, things were better than they had ever been. For all of them. "Bonne nuit, mes chers."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three**

::

"And next time actually talk to Ember instead of going on a hunting spree!" Danny called, waving as Skulker headed off to the portal, holding a sparking, and disconnected, arm and leg. Really, those two were always fighting, and it never took less than the loss of a robotic limb for Skulker to get his act together.

"Do you remember Youngblood?" It was ironic, Danny mused, that it felt like he had been submerged in ice. As a ghost with an ice core, such a thing didn't even phase him, but when it was _her_ it felt as if he couldn't _breathe_.

"Considering I see him at the park every other weekend with a bunch of kids, yeah. I think I remember Youngblood." Leaning back in the air, it took everything Danny had to make himself seem bored and tired. "What do you want today, Spectra."

"Youngblood has the fascinating ability that, when he chooses, he can't be seen by adults. Interesting, isn't it? Quite a few ghost children have defense mechanisms like that. It's so fun to get inside their heads and pick them apart."

For a moment, Danny felt an overwhelming surge of _hatred_ , his powers reacting before he could. " _Children of the Spirit Realm are not to be harmed_." Was that… Was that his voice? And when had he pinned Spectra to the wall like this-

"Ooh, that's new, isn't it, Danny dear?" Spectra's voice came out as a warm croon, nails digging into his arms as he kept her from moving. "You're losing more and more control of your powers by the day. How long until you lose complete control, like _he_ did."

"Shut. _Up_." For a moment, the green energy that swirled in his hands… It looked _red_ \- It couldn't be red. No, no, no, that was _his_ color.

"Ssh, it's okay, Danny." Spectra's nails dug in deeper, her voice a mockery of everyone that had ever been kind to him. Had ever _helped_ him. "It's not like this disguise of yours could have lasted forever. We can never hide our true nature for long, and, well… You really think you can be as strong as you are and still be human?"

This time, Danny was fully aware as he jerked away, ghostly rings wrapping around him as he backed up to the other side of the hallway- When did they get to the hallway? Why- What was going _on_. "No humans are like you, Danny. Sure, sweet little Vladdie comes close to understanding you, but haven't you noticed he's always so tired and _weak_ after he uses his powers? He's wasting away and yet here you are. Stronger and stronger everyday, a bountiful amount of excess energy, and the ability to blend your forms together… Or is it showing your true form through that human disguise of yours-"

"It's not a disguise! I'm as human as anyone else!" Right? So, sure, okay, he had ghost powers. That was nothing! And… He had been spending more time in the Ghost Zone, though. And the only people he ever seemed to be with anymore was Randy and Andrew. A ghost surrounded by ghosts. "I'm… I'm human."

"Maybe in the beginning," Spectra shrugged, as uncaring as she had been when disguised as a human therapist. "But now you've spent far too much time as a ghost. You've been in our world too long and, well, you know. Once you join _our_ world, there's really no going back."

"I haven't- I'm still a part of _this_ world! This is the world that's my home!" Was it really, though? It may have been where he was born, but how much more comfortable was he in the Ghost Zone? There were so many days he stayed curled up at Vidya and Liz rather than go home to Fenton Works. Was that place even home to him anymore? He wasn't sure- Why wasn't he sure? Why was he _questioning_ things!

"I wonder how much humanity you lose each time you change." Spectra was in her human disguise - _disguise because he knew disguises better than anyone_ \- and walking towards Danny with measured steps. Each click of her heels on the tile felt like a ticking clock that was counting down to something Danny didn't want to name. "Each second you spend as a creature that you were never meant to be."

Don't show it. Don't _show it_. Never let them see because he was the hero. He was always the hero he was the _hero_. Don't let them see. "You know, Spectra, you're giving pretty conflicted advice." The smirk felt too brittle, too fake. His voice shook, and the confident tone was like that of a child trying not to cry. "First you want me to off myself and now you're telling me to be human. Make up your mind-"

"You first." Human or ghost. Human or ghost. _Human or_ \- "Fenton, or Phantom? Do you want to be a normal human child, Danny? Or would you rather be just another ghost, average as the rest of them. You can't have it both ways. One day you're going to have to choose. You're going to have to decide who you are."

Danny wasn't aware of the tears streaming down his face until Spectra's palm cupped his cheek, her words coming out as if they were meant to be a soothing lullaby. "Oh, Danny… Are you wondering why I asked about Youngblood?" The ruby red smile glimmered, and eyes that were a sickly green stared back. "Remember when everyone thought you were crazy for seeing him when no one else could?"

The hallway was empty. There was nothing- No _one_. There weren't any footsteps or breaths or ghostly signatures. There was no one but Danny, shaking against the wall as he stared at…

At nothing.

::

"Hey, Andy… Did you feel any ghost signatures today? While at school?" Pausing at the strange question, Andrew looked over to Danny. The teen had been rather silent as they walked home together - Andrew in his human illusion form - and while Andrew hadn't wanted to pry… He had rarely seen Danny looking this defeated.

"Besides our own, I briefly felt Skulker around my second period class. Why do you ask? Did another ghost appear?" Even though he hadn't felt anything, it was possible that something had happened without Andrew's knowledge.

"No." Shaking his head, Danny looked up with a bright smile that couldn't be faker. "I thought I felt something weird, but I guess it was nothing."

"If… If you're sure." Taking a step closer, Andrew ran a hand through Danny's hair. It took far too long for Danny to lose even a _portion_ of the tension in his shoulders. "You know, your French class is still _woefully_ behind when it comes to holding a proper conversation. I'm rather certain that none of them could tell what I was saying, even with the fact I was using textbook language."

"I'm pretty sure everyone in that class just takes it for the language requirement." Danny's smile was still too brittle, but he welcomed Andrew's touch, leaning into it after a moment. "Tucker doesn't even know how to say 'good morning'."

"Nothing you're saying is inspiring confidence in me, mon cher." Tousling the teen's hair, Andrew pressed a kiss to his cheek before opening the door to Fenton Works for them. He let his illusion fade so as he did, pleased that he no longer had to hide around Maddie and Jack. "Do you want-"

He didn't even finish before a flash of light caught the corner of his eye, Danny floating in front of him in his ghostly form. A flash and the teen was darting off towards the kitchen. "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad. Spending the night at Andy's, see you tomorrow maybe!" Something had definitely happened at school, and Andrew was worried on just what it was that Danny _wasn't_ saying.

"Have fun!" Walking through the kitchen, Andrew gratefully accepted the bowl of fudge Maddie handed to him. "I'd ask you to make sure he does his homework, but I don't think I have to even bother, at this point."

"Thank you, Madeline." Laughing at the wrinkle of the woman's nose, Andrew headed towards the lab. "I'll make sure he eats and does his homework, don't worry." Looking down to the bowl, Andrew let a small tendril of his power see to having it float alongside him. Hands free was always such a nice option.

Looking to the portal, he hadn't even taken a step forward before he was being _tackled_ into another world. Twisting himself around, he couldn't stop a laugh as he wrapped his arms around Danny's waist, letting the teen settle on top of him. "Hello to you as well."

"I missed you." Danny looked so _earnest_ for a moment, smiling sadly at Andrew before leaning down to give him a soft kiss. With how the two were floating aimlessly through the Ghost Zone, the scene felt… Soft. Soft, but worrying. There was something Danny was hiding that was hurting him and Andrew didn't _like_ it.

"In the ten seconds I was gone?" This time the kiss was deeper, and Danny was _begging_ for a distraction. For something to _focus_ on. That, at least, was something Andrew was good at. Giving distractions. "You're not going to talk to me right now, are you?"

"Not… Not yet." Sighing, Andrew gave the teen another kiss. Two. Three. "Give me more time… Just a bit."

"Take all the time you need, mon cher. I'll be here when you want to talk about it." Blinking as he felt something bump into his head, Andrew leaned back to see the floating bowl Maddie had given him. "Would you like some fudge?"

And oh, yes. Danny's laughter was much better than the heavy looks he had been showing all day. Andrew might not know what was bothering him, but he could be patient.

That's what he was best at.

::

"It was Spectra, wasn't it?" Danny hadn't even been aware of throwing something until he saw the cup Randy had easily caught. "Impressive reflexes."

"Years of ghost hunting." Jesus, it was too early for Randy and his all knowing attitude. Running a hand over his face, and wincing as the glasses dug into his skin, Danny looked around for a clock. "Why are you in the kitchen at… What time is it? A little past three?"

"About." Watching cautiously as Randy set the cup down on the table - that he was sitting on top of - Danny edged his way towards the door. "Don't even think about it, petit mec."

"Isn't this going against, like, unspoken rules or something? I feel like this is going against unspoken rules." Maybe if he could just make it to the door… He was quicker in his ghost form, but he could use flight as a human now. It wouldn't take much-

"Stop thinking of escape attempts, petit mec. You know I can catch you in less than a second and have you pinned to the floor even faster than that." It was upsetting how Danny didn't even feel a bit bad for the thoughts that went through his head at that.

"Yeah, yeah, you think you're so impressive." Although Danny had heard stories, and he really wanted to find out if they were true for himself one day. "Why are you in the kitchen at three in the morning, Randy."

"I think the real question is why are _you_. For that matter, why are you hiding your pain from us?" Damn Randy and his stupid always knowing how they felt! "Danny… Talk to me."

"It's nothing! Nothing that matters anyway." Just him going crazy like everyone always said he would. Nothing to worry about at all. Just… Just an inevitability.

"It was Spectra, wasn't it?" That had a laugh escaping before he could stop it, Danny shaking his head as he tried to busy himself looking through the cabinets and make it seem like his hands weren't shaking.

"No, it wasn't." Because Andrew hadn't felt anything besides him and Skulker. Hell, Danny was pretty sure _he_ hadn't felt anything besides him and Skulker. "It's nothing, Randy."

"It's not nothing when you're feeling so… Danny, I know Spectra talked to you. I can _feel_ it." Hands were wrapping around his own shaking ones, his palms pressed down and pinned to the counter. Randy's front was completely pressed against his back, and lips were touching the shell of his ear. "There's darkness in her, and right now you're _drenched_ in it."

"Wha- What do you mean?" There was nowhere to hide when Randy was this close to him. No way to hide his shaking body, or quick breaths. "She wasn't there-"

"Then explain why I can feel her energy - her _aura_ \- sticking to yours." It… Randy felt it? Danny's mind couldn't fake something like that. Couldn't fake ghost energy- That was as unique as a ghost's core.

"You… She was really there today, then. But Andy said he couldn't feel her! I don't think even _I_ felt her! How can you be so sure it was really Spectra and not…" Not his imagination.

"Because I know better than anyone what madness looks like." The words sounded so stupid, but the way they were said had Danny tensing up even further. "Trust me, Danny, when I say this isn't in your head. I don't know how she was able to mask herself, but Spectra was definitely there."

"That…" Twisting around in Randy's hold, Danny didn't hesitate to throw his arms around Randy and hold him close. "That helps." There was still the matter of Spectra's words and how they had _dug_ into him, but the fact they were at least real… That helped.

"I was hoping." Randy's chest shook with a quiet laugh, Danny blinking as he felt himself picked up. "Come on, we have too much fudge and too many unwatched movies."

"It's a school night?" Danny didn't bother to fight his way down, only curling close to Randy and nuzzling at his neck. It had the curious reaction of Randy stumbling in his steps for a moment and oh. He would be remembering that.

"Screw it, you're a teenager. You can sleep during Andy's classes." That had a genuine laugh slipping past, Danny leaning back to swiftly kiss Randy's cheek.

"We got lucky to have you in our lives, you know." While things were still so uncertain some days, it was at least nice to know that things like this would never change.

Spectra's words were still in his head - they would always be in his head - but on nights like these, in _moments_ like these… The words weren't so loud.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four**

**::**

_Shadows and fear and toxic honey that was poured down his throat and clogged his words and made them stick and long bridges with nothing beneath nothing but rushing darkness and smothering silence and he couldn't breathe and everything hurt so much and it hurt and it was so painful and he couldn't breathe and why was he alone where was everyone he couldn't breathe it hurt it hurt_ _**it hURT** _

The hand that was tangled in his hair was the only thing that kept Danny from jerking out of his seat. Considering the way his head was held down at an angle, he could only guess that his eyes were glowing. "Mr. Fenton, if you could attempt to not fall asleep in my classroom then I believe it would be a great deal of help to you and your grades."

"R-Right. Sorry, Mr. Riter." At least Randy would get a kick out of hearing how he had fallen asleep in Andrew's French class. "It won't happen again."

"See to it that it doesn't." Andrew shot him a glare that only came across as worried and concerned, Danny hoping that no one would see it as easily as he did. "Now, back to the matter at hand of your latest assignment. Yes, yes, you might want to start paying closer attention judging on the homework I've been grading in this class. Eyes up here, thank you."

As usual, Andrew commanded the attention of the class marvelously. It was just the distraction Danny needed to get his breathing under control and his heart rate settled. He was used to nightmares, at this point, but it must have been bad if his ghost powers were reacting that strongly.

Shooting a cautious glance to Tucker, the teen shot him a thumbs up after a moment. At least his eyes were back to normal, then, but it was… He didn't lose control of the physical aspect of his powers very often anymore. Only when tapping into his energy, or when he was _really_ bad off. Had his nightmare been that bad? He couldn't remember much beyond darkness, and fear. Although maybe he didn't need to remember much beyond that.

At least his French was good enough that he could let his attention wander in this class. Andrew probably wouldn't mind much, either, since he was busy trying to get the others to understand the difference between a native dialect and the one they had been using in class. It was a losing battle, really.

The vibration of his phone had him glancing down, a text message from Tucker appearing on the screen. ' _hey man you alright?_ '

' _Yeah just some stupid nightmares from the Spectra mess I was telling you and Sam about a few weeks ago._ ' Well, they at least knew Spectra had been bothering him, but they didn't know Danny was being damn near haunted by her. ' _Think I can get away with flirting in French?_ '

' _better not, paulina is picking up the lingo fast. you sure youre alright thought? youve been spacey the last few weeks._ '

' _How does your phone not have an autocorrect when it comes to auto-caps and punctuation? Seriously Tuck it's pissing me off._ '

' _technology. stop avoiding the question._ '

' _I'm_ ' Well, he certainly wasn't good, but he was starting to do better. That was something, right? ' _I'm fine. Now pay attention your French sucks._ '

It was a long moment of Tucker side-eyeing him before sighing and looking to the board. He didn't look happy about it, but at least he wasn't trying to push for answers. Answers which Danny didn't really have- Danny wasn't really sure _what_ Spectra was doing to him. Making him more paranoid than ever before, definitely, but beyond that…

Spectra always had a plan, an end goal she worked to achieve. The fact she just seemed to appearing in Danny's life to toy with him, to _play_ with him, it wasn't right. She was up to something and Danny just needed to find out _what_.

Randy certainly believed Spectra was using some kind of power to keep herself masked from them, but he hadn't had any definite ideas on just what it could be. Maybe it was a new power? Danny always got them in the beginning, and it was easy to imagine that a ghost might gain a new one when they got strong enough… Strong enough… Was that how Spectra was doing it?

Danny knew his limits, but he also knew his strengths. It wasn't bragging when he said he knew just how powerful he was. Spectra thrived on draining a person of positive emotions and _energy_. Students hadn't just been depressed, they had been _tired_. Perhaps that was what she was doing here, draining Danny's energy to- To _what_?

Spectra was powerful enough at this point that she didn't need to constantly feed on Danny like she was doing. She wasn't just feeding, she was _feasting_. Did she need the energy for something? Was she trying to store it up in order to make another attempt at building a body? It would make sense, but Danny still felt as if there was something he was missing. One last piece that just wasn't clicking-

"Are my lessons so boring now that you can't even pay attention when they end?" Snapping his head up at the voice, Danny blinked as he saw Andrew smiling down at him. "The bell rang a minute and a half ago."

"That would explain why the classroom is now empty." Right. Really caught up in his thoughts, then. That… Right. "Sorry. About, you know-"

"Falling asleep in class? I expected as much when Randy informed me this morning that you two were up all night watching bad movies." Not _all_ of them were bad, just a great deal of them. "He also mentioned something about Spectra."

"I…" Danny didn't even realize he was flying out of his seat until he was wrapped around Andrew as tightly as he could manage, feet not touching the ground. "She's driving me _crazy_ , Andy. And I don't just mean- I thought I was _hallucinating_ her the other day. I thought it was all in my head, and I had finally snapped-"

"Oh, Danny." Letting Andrew take his weight, Danny slumped in his hold as he nuzzled at the man's neck. "I'm so sorry I wasn't able to help you yesterday. I knew something was wrong but I didn't want to press you."

"I know, and I'm thankful for that. You never push me, and I can't tell you how much that means." Because sometimes he kept quiet not out of want, but out of _need_. There were too many secrets in his life to be able to freely talk anymore. Sometimes he just needed the time to figure out what he could say. And what he couldn't. "I just… I'm scared."

"That, mon cher, was obvious when you started having a nightmare in class," Andrew held Danny tighter, and it was only distantly he remembered Andrew's fourth period was a free one for him. At least there wouldn't be any students walking in on them. "Your powers haven't reacted like this in a long time."

"I know, I know, but… I don't know if it's all Spectra." Even before she had come back he had been having doubts about himself, and his powers. Spectra just forced everything into the light. "You know, I'm the only student you ever touch. That's probably adding fuel to the rumors."

"I dislike touch in general, moreso with sticky children," Andrew reluctantly set Danny down, pulling back enough to adjust Danny's glasses and brush his hair back. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I will be. Eventually." Smiling as Andrew's hand slipped down to cup his cheek, Danny leaned into the touch at once. He could afford to be a little late for his next class. "As long as I have you two." Leaning up on the tips of his toes, Danny brushed his lips against Andrew's, letting his voice come out warm and soft. "And our little 'lunches'."

"I'd threaten you with detention, but I'm rather certain that would just make you try even harder." And oh, _that_ sentence certainly had him thinking of some ideas.

"Oh, most definitely. I mean, just think about all the scenarios we could get away with…" They were so easy to picture these days and even easier to act out. "Me, a misunderstood student who has problems with authority and is never able to trust any of the teachers or adults in the school. You, the bright young substitute who only wants to make a difference in the lives of the students and help those he can.

"The two of us finding a confident within each other, you discussing your hopes and dreams for the future, me able to finally talk about my fears and why I've been having such problems in school. Learning more and more about each other, pushing the limits and boundaries of our relationship during school and class. Meeting in public and getting closer and closer, you giving me detention as I start acting out to better get your attention and try to make you understand what I'm feeling. The two of us stuck in one room for maybe _hours_ as the tension gets more and more- What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Andrew had a hand covering his mouth, and Danny couldn't quite tell if he was amused, or utterly horrified. "How… Danny, how long have you been thinking about this?"

Oh, wow, that… Danny wasn't sure if he wanted to answer that one truthfully, especially as the silence just kept getting longer and longer. Finally looking away, Danny rubbed the back of his neck, "I dunno." His mind went places, especially when Andrew was teaching. It was hardly his fault he ended up getting invested.

"You're going to be the end of me yet, mon cher." This time, Andrew's expression was nothing but fond amusement, the man cupping Danny's cheeks before bending down to kiss his forehead. "Go on, before you're even later for your next class."

Smirking, Danny caught Andrew's hand and turned his head enough to kiss the pulse of the wrist, "Yes sir, Mr. Riter." If Danny just so happened to be a bit later than he had planned, well… Distractions happened.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five**

**::**

"Yes, yes, it's begun snowing." Really, high school students were so dramatic these days. Andrew had honestly thought there was a problem when he heard the loud groaning that broke out in his last class of the day. "It tends to do that in during this time of year. I would advise that you adjust to it. Quickly."

"But, sir, it's always snows the _worst_ in Amity Park. Even the towns beside ours don't get it as bad!" Pausing in his writing for a moment, Andrew glanced to the student that had spoken and then to Danny. The teen had his gaze on the window and looked utterly captivated by the sight of the falling snow. Andrew was hard pressed to stop the silly grin he could feel forming on his face.

"That could be attributed to many things, and one of them could be the fact that this town is soaked in ambient ghost energy from the work of the Fentons and the ghosts that visit this place." There was also the fact Amity Park had a silly ice core halfa keeping watch. "Perhaps discuss it with one of the Fentons if it's bothering you that greatly. Now, returning to where we were."

At the spike of ghostly energy he felt at the edges of his awareness, Andrew sighed and continued to write on the board. The ghost didn't feel overly familiar, so he wasn't too worried about letting Danny go on his own. "Yes, Mr. Fenton-" Ugh, still far too weird calling Danny that. "-you can be excused."

"Sir?" Oh, he didn't even have to turn to know that was one of the 'A-Listers' speaking. Troublesome, the lot of them. "How do you know he raised his hand when your back was turned? You hearing can't be that good-"

"Yet it's good enough to tell me that you've texted on your phone four times in the last fifteen minutes." Ah, the fear of his students. A wonderful thing, truly. "Those had better be notes for you next assignment."

"Ye-Yes, sir." Ah, now Andrew remembered why Randy hadn't wanted him to be a teacher when they were younger. He thought the power would go to his head.

"Now, with us at the end of November the National Novel Writing Month challenge is coming to an end." At the panicked looks, he rolled his eyes and went back to his desk to grab a few handouts. "No, I don't expect you all to have _finished_ novels, but I do want a short, five-hundred word essay of how many words you managed to write, how your writing might have improved, how you worked under a deadline, and things of such a similar nature. The sheets I'm handing out have questions I want you to keep in mind and try to answer if you can. MLA format, you need to start getting familiar with it. You'll thank me in college, believe me."

Hearing running footsteps, Andrew tilted his head slightly before heading back to the board, holding out the last paper as the door opened. Danny rolled his eyes as he took it, Andrew doing his best to not smile at the expression. "Take some time to think about it, it's not due until the end of next week."

At the sigh of relief that swept through the class, Andrew snorted and waved them off. "Alright, you're free. The bell's going to ring in a few minutes anyways-" Hm. High school students could move very fast at the promise of an early dismissal, apparently.

"You know, this is why you're everyone's favorite teacher," Danny pointed out, boosting himself up to sit on Andrew's desk and grinning at the flick to his forehead. "What? I'm not wrong!"

"Oui, oui, you're not wrong." Something he took great, vindictive joy in, to be honest. Flicking the door closed and locking it with his powers, Andrew ran a hand through Danny's hair and kissed his temple. "Who was it this time?"

"Just a message from Wulf that Walker is on the prowl again," Danny hummed, leaning into the touches as the tension drained out of him. "Nothing too bad, just a warning to be careful for a while."

"Mm, alright. Now, care to explain why the gentle snow from earlier has turned into a snowstorm?" Andrew watched as Danny blinked, paused, and then looked back towards the windows. He took the delighted grin as the fact that Danny _hadn't_ known.

" _Dude_ , at this rate we might get our first snow day sooner than ever! That's so-" Danny must have seen Andrew's rather displeased expression, because he immediately cleared his throat. "I mean, how unfortunate for our education."

"Oh, I'm sure." Tugging the teen into another kiss, it took a moment for Andrew to let the younger go. Hardly his fault his mate was so addicting. "You have some friends to meet up with, I believe?"

"I mean… I mean, I could be a few minutes late and I'd be fine." A sharp smirk was his only warning before Andrew felt himself jerked down by the lapels of his coat. "Now, where were we?"

"I believe you, a reckless and troublemaking student, was in the middle of seducing me, the young and well-meaning teacher." And alright, the horrible dialogue he had to swallow his pride to say was _worth_ it for the beaming smile Danny gave him.

::

"Ah, Andrew!" Oh, dear. He had almost managed to escape, too. "A few of us are going out for drinks and we wanted to know if you wanted to come with." Damn Mrs. Petricoff and her crusade to make Andrew a part of the school- Or, more accurately, keep him from corrupting the students. Damn her and damn Danny for his 'act'.

"As, ah, _riveting_ as that sounds Doloris, I really do need to be getting home, I'm afraid. Papers to grade, work to go through, lessons to plan. You know how it is." Was Andrew clutching his bag like one would a shield? Maybe. Was he going to set it down? Hell no.

"Oh, fiddle faddle." Wh- What? What was- That was not English. That was in no way a part of the English language. "Holidays are coming up soon, for us _and_ the kids. We can spare a few days here and there."

"I… I suppose you're right." Think of an excuse, think of an excuse, think of an excuse- Maybe he could become a rampaging ghost. That might work.

"Mr. Riter!" Right. Danny appearing was going to make this either better or worse. Andrew was really hoping for the former. "Principal Ishiyama wanted to see you in her office real quick. Some new information about Mrs. Flores and her maternity leave, I think?"

"Ah, yes, thank you." Speaking quickly, before Petricoff could, Andrew gave a stunning smile. "It was a delight talking to you Doloris, but I'm afraid I need to go see what that's about. Maybe next time?" Just don't run, just don't run.

As soon as they were around the corner, Andrew was slumping in relief, Danny giving a loud laugh. "Dude, you looked so _panicked_! I thought you were about to throw her in a poem!"

"I might have to," Andrew muttered, peeking around the corner to make sure the hall was empty before taking on his teenage disguise. It took a fair bit of power but it at least made it easier to walk Danny home. "She seems to believe I'm morally corrupt."

"Really? I wonder how that happened," Danny smiled innocently, reaching up to kiss Andrew on the cheek sweetly.

"Mhm. Aren't you supposed to be going out with Sam and Tucker today," Andrew linked his arm with Danny's, returning the kiss to his cheek and smiling at the delighted grin it earned him.

"Last minute family plans, I think. We'll just have a sleepover tonight and I'll get to spend a few more hours with you. Now c'mon, Andy, the blizzard finally stopped and there's about three feet of snow over the city-"

"Three feet? Really?" That wasn't normal, not considering December hadn't even started. Maybe one or two feet after a bad storm, but three when there had been no snow on the ground?

"Amity Park, Andy, weird things happen. Now come _on_ , I wanna make at least two snowmen and a snow angel- Think we can get Randy out here? He'd be awesome in a snowball fight. You both would be, actually- Hey, who would win in a snowball fight, you or him? I mean, you got the throwing knives experience and all that, but Randy has such wicked aim with all those math skills of his, and-"

Drawing Danny into a deep kiss to quiet him, Andrew had to bite back a laugh at how easily Danny fell into it. "While all those are _wonderful_ ideas, mon cher, I have a better one."

"Really." Arching an eyebrow, Danny shook his head, a scoff in his words. "As if anything could be better-"

"Riter hot chocolate, Riter cookies, a warm fireplace, and a cozy bed with nothing around us but a few dozen blankets. And I do mean _nothing_."

"Home. Let's go home right now."

"Sounds wonderful."

::

" _I wonder how much humanity you lose each time you change."_ How much humanity, huh? Out of everything that Spectra had said recently, those were the words that were starting to stick to him.

It had been a little less than a week since the first snowfall and already Amity Park was shaping up to look like the Far Frozen. The snow was constant and the temperatures dropping to hover around _zero_. And that was during the day. The worrying part, though… Danny hardly even felt the cold.

Right now, he was tucked away on his roof, wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and had his bare feet resting on a pile of snow that had yet to be cleared away. His skin wasn't even blue and he felt like it was nothing more than a cool fall day at most. He… He hadn't even changed into Phantom yet.

He hadn't noticed at first, but the winters in Amity Park had been like this for a while. Comparing them now to how they had been, they had been getting worse and worse ever since he had gained his ice core. Was he… Was he causing all of this?

Near five feet of snow and winter was just starting. How much worse would it get with him here? Even in his human form… How much humanity had he lost, was Spectra's question. How human was he after all his time spent changing into something that was in myths and legends and stories.

That wasn't the right question to ask, though. Not for what was happening here. No, Danny knew what question he should be asking himself.

How much humanity did he have _left_.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut scene is marked by time skip markers '::' so you can skip past if you want! Please be aware this chapter is 8.8k alone. It was a long night.

**Chapter Twenty Six**

**::**

"Mr. Fenton, that's the third time you've walked into my classroom late. Perhaps you'll manage to be on time if it's for detention." Staring at Andrew, Danny barely even noticed the dead silence of the class. He was too focused on the fact Andrew had just… Had just… What had just happened? "Feel free to keep standing in the doorway if you want to earn another."

"N-No, sir. Sorry, sir." Was this a part of their act? A glance to Tucker showed he looked as shocked as Danny felt, eyes wide and confused. Danny risked giving a quick shrug as he hurried to his desk, digging his things out and trying to think the situation through.

The only ghostly auras in the area were their own and there didn't seem to be any signs of Andrew being possessed or controlled by another. It was possible, so he wouldn't rule it out quite yet, but the only ghosts powerful enough to do something like that would be Clockwork and the Observants. Clockwork would never, but the Observants…

Right, he would keep that thought in mind. Closing his eyes in concentration for a moment, Danny felt at the energy more. Definitely only his and Andrew's, with a lingering trace of Randy's where he spent so much time around the school. It couldn't be an act, as Andrew would have given him a sign - plus there were no teachers around to fool or trick. The students in this class were generally well-behaved so there was no need to intimidate them or teach them a lesson.

It had to have been the Observants- No, why would they control Andrew to give Danny detention… A possible place where he could talk to Danny privately. Either a way to get his attention for a conversation, or start a fight without any chance of casualties forming. Or maybe they were using Andrew as bait. Still, there were easier ways to draw Danny into a hearing, and the Observants never did anything against their code or 'rules'.

Detention for being late to French- Andrew had never even _given_ a detention since he had been here, just assigned extra homework when the student was being particularly troublesome. Or threw a marker at their forehead, but that was only once. Twice. Three times at most.

Busying himself with his workbook and making it look like he was paying enough attention to the lesson but not too much - he had learned this lesson with Andrew months ago - Danny took the chance to study Andrew discreetly. The man was acting as if nothing was wrong and as if he hadn't just given Danny detention for walking in a few minutes late - nevermind it was because of dealing with Johnny and Kitty and their latest mess.

Still, there were no signs from his mate that showed anything was wrong or out of the usual, but… There were no signs of reassurance, either. Hearing a sharp, familiar beat of a tapping pencil, Danny boredly propped his cheek up and glanced around the room, eyes zeroing in on Tucker's loopy scrawl. ' _dude did GW just give you detention?_ '

Sighing as the lesson continued, Danny slumped in his seat and started writing his own note back, shifting the paper so Tucker could see it easily. Trying to keep his identity a secret had taught him a fair few things, dealing with assassins daily taught him even more, ' _Yeeeep. Trying to figure out why. Any thoughts?_ '

' _don't know. did you piss him off? forget a holiday or anniversary? forget his birthday?_ ' Flicking through his mental calendar, Danny finally gave a slow shake of his head that he passed off as getting some hair out of his eyes. Nothing important wasn't for a while, and any 'arguments' they had were swiftly resolved and talked about. Besides, Andrew had won the last three, so there was no reason for that to cause this.

Keeping himself calm and collected, Danny did his best to act like he would any other day. The only slip up he had was when Andrew handed him the slip for detention on his way out the door, his 'love stricken' act having nothing to do with the way he flinched and curled in on himself as he fled out of the classroom with the other students.

"Man, Fenton," Dash whistled lowly once they were in the halls, shaking his head in near disbelief. "Way to piss off Mr. Riter."

"Seriously, I've never seen him give _anyone_ detention," Paulina said, shaking her head, "And he's been here two months!" Hm, at least this wasn't the worse he had ever had to deal with. "I didn't think he was that upset about someone being late…"

"Guess we'd better not be late, then," Star mumbled, peeking at Danny's slip before her eyes widened. "He gave you an _hour_ of detention for being a few minutes late!"

"What?" Danny looked down at the slip, his own eyes widening as he saw that he had in fact been given an hour. That was definitely not normal. Gritting his teeth, Danny forced himself to play the crushed, upset student who had been disciplined by their favorite teacher. "I guess I must've done something to deserve it… I'll see you all later."

Footsteps slow and mournful, Danny only let invisibility and intangibility take over him when he rounded a corner to an empty classroom. Not bothering to change into Phantom, Danny merely flitted through a few classrooms until he sat down with a sigh at one of the desks. The statistics classroom would be empty until after lunch, so he would be alright here for a while. Ugh, flying was alway so taxing in his human form.

Right, focus. Digging his phone out, Danny flipped through his contacts before dialing up a number and hoping it was a free hour. " _Shouldn't you be in class right now_?" Jazz's amused voice soothed him fractionally, but not enough for him to relax.

"Long story, how do you get in touch with Clockwork? Since you've been dating for months and never _told me_ , I figure you keep in contact some way." Honestly, he still felt betrayed in the way he had learned _that_.

" _Bitter, bitter. I gave him a phone ages ago. You have his contact, you know._ " What? No he didn't. " _I put it in there myself when you left your phone in the living room. It's under Father Time._ "

Silent for a long moment, Danny finally gave a single nod, "Jazz, I love you. Have a good day and don't forget you have that test on Friday. Bye." Finding the 'Father Time' contact, Danny called it and rolled his eyes at being answered not even a second later. "I'm not impressed."

" _Now, now, no need to lie. To what do I owe the lovely pleasure of hearing from you while you're still in school?_ " His tone was calm, but then Clockwork was good at hiding when he wanted to be. It was possible this was a test being issued by the Observants, but Danny doubted Clockwork would have let it happen with no warning.

"What have the Observants been up to and do they have any authority to interfere in my life or possess or control another ghost?" The silence was longer than expected, Danny almost feeling the expression Clockwork was giving him. "Just… Please answer."

" _As far as I know the Observants have been looking into the matter of Spectra and her whereabouts, and, no. They will never have the authority to interfere in your life without my say, something which I've been very clear about denying them. They can also not control a ghost without severe negative consequences. Now, I'm going to assume there's something you need to tell me._ "

"Damn, I was really hoping for the Observants, too." That meant it was either Andrew acting under his own power, or him being controlled through another outside force. Couldn't have been the Guys-in-White, there would be no purpose of giving him- Well. A chance to meet with the Fenton son away from witnesses? Or a chance for a ghost to get Phantom alone with his mate controlled. At least the Observants were ruled out. Maybe Plasmius? No… Danny doubted he would break their truce, not when he was just starting to get along with Maddie and Jack once again.

" _Daniel._ " Ghosts or Guys-in-White. Not great options all around. " _Daniel, what is this about?_ " It was possible he was trapped in one of Andrew's poems, but would be the purpose? Plus there was the fact no one was rhyming- Then again, Amity Park hadn't noticed. Danny only had because… Why had he? " _Daniel, please answer me so I know you haven't gone catatonic_."

"Andy gave me detention, I'm trying to figure out why." It was possible it was where the Reality Keyboard had hit him with the energy first, although it was more likely because he was the focus of the story. Or maybe Andrew had made him hear the rhyme to drive him even madder - yes, that rather sounded like Andrew when he was angry. "I gotta go, make sure Jazz doesn't psyche herself out for that test."

Ignoring the call of his name, Danny hung up and cycled through until he was dialing another number. It only took a ring or two to connect, which meant it was safe to talk, at least, "Am I rhyming?" Right. He probably could have lead with more information.

" _Not that I'm aware of, but it's a bit hard to tell with only a few words._ " Randy's voice was warm and amused, the words washing over him and having Danny slumping against the chair he was sitting in. " _Is there a reason you think you're rhyming?_ "

"I didn't know if Andrew's power would extend to only the focus and the people around them, all of Amity Park, or just everyone who's brought _into_ the story. I also wasn't sure if I would notice any rhyming if I heard some, since I'm not sure how it really all works. If he was controlling reality right now then would any of us notice? Would it be restricted to just a few places? Although if the theory about anyone brought into the story becomes a part of it I suppose you wouldn't be able to tell anymore than I would-"

" _Danny, petit mec, I need you to take a moment to breathe and then maybe tell me why the hell you think Andrew has everyone trapped in a poem._ " Following Randy's orders was as easy as, well. As easy as breathing. " _I knew the school was bad, but I didn't think it was that bad._ "

"I don't think school had anything to do with it. See, he gave me detention for being a few minutes later to French." The heavy silence had Danny shifting and glancing around, absently noting the sight of the clock that told him he was missing his history class. Not that he much cared. "It wasn't to leave an impression on any of the humans since there weren't any signals from him throughout class.

"It also wasn't the Observants. I called Clockwork first to confirm that and they can't interfere in my life or control Andy. It's possible it's the Guys-in-White, but then they'd be after Fenton and not Phantom. They could have tried to approach me on my own, but an empty classroom with no one but them and a controlled ghost would be safer for them I guess. It could also be a ghost controlling him but I doubt it. They'd have to be a long stronger and no one I know who has that power would want to possess him. That leaves the possibility of him acting out of his normal behavior due to a poem happening, but what would the purpose be?"

There was a long silence, Randy sounding like he was giving a breathless laugh over the phone, " _Andy gives you detention - something you've been telling me you wanted in great detail - and you automatically think he's being controlled?_ "

"Well- Yes!" Danny winced at his defensive tone. "He never takes those things seriously anyways, so why-"

" _Danny. That idiot would do anything for you, including playing along to one of your games._ " That… That would explain why he was given _hour_ of detention for only being five minutes late.

"You really think that's it?" Not ghosts, or ghost hunters, or a poorly schemed attempt at revenge, but just Andrew trying to dote on Danny in his own special way. "Really?"

" _I'm more surprised your first thought was that he was being controlled by ghosts. Should I make a reference about your parents here, or wait a bit longer._ " Blinking, Danny ran his behavior over in his head and oh… Oh.

"That… I didn't think I was acting that paranoid, actually." Just the matter with Spectra and the Guys-in-White- Not to mention the warning Wulf had given him about Walker.

" _With your life you have reason to be. It's nothing to be ashamed over, but it can be worked on so you don't assume the worse if something like this happens again._ " Oh, that was definitely Randy speaking from experience. " _Wait, you have history right now_."

"Um… No?" Dammit. "Oh, wow! Look at the time, I guess I had better get going, then." There was a warm laugh that answered him, Danny unable to stop his grin at the noise.

" _Go on, petit mec. I'll talk to our idiot bookworm and make sure he's not going down the path of a supervillain. Again._ "

Grinning a bit like an idiot, Danny got to his feet and headed for the door, "Thanks, Randy." That really did help, since Randy would know in a second if something really was wrong with Andrew. Just in case. "Love you." And, alright, Danny could have his fun, too.

::

Randy watched as Andrew paused in the middle of the lecture he was giving to his class, looking right at where he was invisible and floating in the air. He had to fight to not laugh as Andrew snapped his fingers and pointed towards his office chair. Making sure the students were all thoroughly confused for a good few moments, Randy shed his invisibility and zipped over to sit on the chair with a grin.

Andrew scoffed, fighting against the smile as he let his powers wrap around the marker he was using and continue to write on the board as he addressed his class, "Yes, it's a ghost. Shocking, amazing, and completely new. It's almost as if one has never before been seen in your lives." Watching silently, Randy couldn't stop his grin as Andrew nodded and continued with his lecture.

"Thank you. Now, returning to what we were discussing before this very rude interruption. There are more subtle ways to convey a tone of a story than just telling. As you've all no doubt been told by now, showing instead of telling is what you should strive for. Ridiculous, a lot of times, in my opinion. You're telling your readers a story, and if you think you can best tell it by simply telling how it happened, then do so. It's finding _your_ way to tell _your_ story.

"Now, for this week's assignment I want a thousand word essay on the more subtle ways of conveying the tone of your scene and then an example of said scene. Perhaps describe it by using the temperature of the room. Cold for dark scenes and warm for happy ones. Think about the lighting. Is it dark? Is there natural or artificial light? Where is it coming from? What about the sounds? Sharp, high sounds that cause anxiety or worry, or low, soft, soothing sounds that set the tone for a peaceful scene?"

It was a little amazing at how _natural_ Andrew was in his environment. Teaching had always suited him, and finally watching Andrew teach something he loved to pieces was just breathtaking. Taking the flick to his ear with grace, Randy handed over the stack of papers Andrew had pointed out, "I've written those examples down as well as a few more. Keep them in mind while writing, but don't overdo it. Remember, you're telling a story, not taking a report from a witness at a scene of a crime."

At the small burst of laughter among the students, Randy watched as Andrew finally gave a small smile as he headed back to wipe the board clean. "Alright, bell rings in a minute or two, go get your head start. I know at least a quarter of you have classes on the other side of the school. Ridiculous how schools expect you to be able to teleport these days, or be a star athlete to cover that distance in that amount of time."

Wiping the board down with a quick flick of his powers, Andrew turned on his heel and fixed Randy with a stern stare that had him amused more than anything, "Why are you here, what did you break, and why are you smiling like that?" Oh, was he still smiling? Well, he could be excused, he supposed.

"I'm here because I'm a loving, caring person, I haven't broken anything in at least forty- Twelve hours, and I'm smiling because I've never been able to see you teach like this. It's nice." Randy rolled the chair over to bump into Andrew, grinning up at him. "Seeing you enjoy yourself and have so much fun. It's nice."

"Yes, well." Clearing his throat, Andrew pushed the chair away with his foot, Randy laughing as the man started digging around his papers. "You have four minutes until my next class, speak quickly."

"Danny called me and seemed to think you were possessed, threatened, or had reverted into a supervillain." At the utterly baffled look, Randy couldn't stop himself from giving a small smile, "You gave him detention and he let his worries get the best of him."

"There's worries and then there's paranoia," Andrew sighed, fidgeting with a binder he was holding and chewing on his lower lip. "Did he seem alright when he talked to you? No, obviously he wasn't or he wouldn't have called you. I didn't mean to make him think the worst-"

"He's fine, he's fine, I reassured him. In his words, he hadn't even realized how he was acting. You know how these things can take over us."

"Yes… Yes, I suppose so." Andrew sighed and shooed Randy out of his chair before flopping down. Randy contently hovered next to the chair, tousling Andrew's hair for a moment before letting his feet touch the ground. "He's alright?"

"Definitely. And probably looking forward to whatever you're planning that made you give our sweet little halfa detention." At the bright purple blush on the man's face, Randy laughed and snuck a kiss to his temple, hand slipping around to cup the back of Andrew's neck and keep him still and close. "You're transparent as always, frérot. I take it you really do have something planned, then? Perhaps you're trying to play up the whole power aspect in your relationship? Mm, no, no, not your style… Ooh, but maybe you're going for a little game, hm? Something fun to play with your sweet little mate-"

" _Randall_." Andrew was now blushing all the way to the tips of his ears, Randy having to work at not pinching one. Or biting. "We are in a _school_ for God's sake, please do try to restrain yourself."

"When have I ever though," Randy purred, words near whispered into Andrew's ear as he squeezed the younger's neck, delighting as the blush spread further. "C'mon, frérot, you can tell me. I won't judge."

"Only because you've already done everything," Andrew said, trying to sound annoyed and only hitting fond. Something Randy took quite a bit of pleasure in.

"Well…" Smirking, Randy nuzzled at Andrew's hair line before abruptly floating back into the air and letting him go. "Not yet, at least."

"Right!" ANdrew stood up and turned towards the board, jotting things down with the marker he had picked up. "That's your time up, then." Oh, hm. The room was indeed filled with students settling in, most looking at him with wide eyes and muttering about who he could be. He really should spend more time around Amity when he got a chance.

"Alright, alright, I'll leave you to your lessons," Randy plucked the marker out of Andrew's hand before doodling a grinning little ghost. "Since you can't draw them, from what I hear-"

"Honestly, he tells you everything," Andrew snatched the marker back with a grin. "Go on with you. I have quite a few things to plan and think on, after all."

"Ah, there's my ruthless little brother." The bell ringing cut anything else off, Randy blinking as he saw at least three people shoot their hands up, Andrew sighing beside him.

"Sir, is this the brother you're always talking about?" One of them hadn't even waited to be called and Randy was _so_ grateful.

"Aw, you talk about me?" Being shoved out the window was well worth the expression on Andrew's face, Randy figured.

Well, at least he'd have Vidya as silent company for a bit longer than normal, today. Honestly, only Danny could bring out Andrew's playful and mischievous nature that easily.

::

From the moment Danny walked into his classroom Andrew could tell the teen was fully immersed in his act. It would be a shame to take the teen out of it when he seemed to have been looking forward to this, "Mr. Fenton. On time, I see." What was it to be today, then, Andrew wondered. Shy and sweet teen who idolized the substitute, or troublemaker who didn't trust anyone in a position of authority.

"Yes- Sir- Yes sir, Mr. Riter." Danny's face flushed a rather attractive pink, the teen scrunching down and hiding behind the gray scarf and large jacket he wore. It was such a tempting sight, truly.

"Take your seat, Danny," Andrew sighed, far too easily taking on his own role. Shy and sweet, hm… Oh, he could certainly work with that. "You'll be serving your detention with me right after class, so there will be no need to leave."

"Yes, sir." Shuffling off to his seat, Danny nibbled on his bottom lip as he fumbled with getting his things out. Really, it was _far_ too tempting a sight.

Taking a breath, Andrew turned back to the board and did his best to focus on what he was doing. As much as he would like to jump ahead in the story he was weaving, he did have a class to attend to. Besides, there was no point to a story if it was rushed and instantly gratifying. No, no, the true enjoyment came from the drawn out desire…

"Right, if you'll turn your attention to the sheets that are being handed out then you'll see that we have quite a lot to do with midterms approaching so quickly. I'll be giving you study guides at the end of class but your exams will exist of six main parts." As Andrew talked he let his powers take over writing on the board, allowing him to root through his desk for what else he needed. "Defining terms, short answer, true or false, a poetry analysis, dialogue writing, and a reflective essay. I'm also assigning an extra credit assignment.

"Using the pieces I've had you write this semester I want you to put together a portfolio following the MLA guidelines. I'll be handing out a sheet for that as well. It won't save your grade if you do poorly on the exams, but it might give you an extra boost if you're not confident."

It was easy to get wrapped up in teaching his class, answering questions and encouraging the students to think beyond just what was on the board. It was so easy that he didn't even notice it was near the end of the school day until he saw the clock, "Thank you, Ms. Sanchez. Unfortunately that's all the time we have for today. Remember what I said about exams and the extra credit project. Don't forget to collect all your papers and you're free to go and enjoy your weekend."

It took far too much effort to not turn to look at Danny, Andrew instead wiping the board down and straightening the papers on his desk as he sat down in his chair. Finally looking up once the classroom was empty and the door closed, Andrew looked to the front row desk that Danny sat in, "Danny. I take it you've guessed as to why I gave you detention today?"

Danny seemed startled at finally being addressed, the teen biting his lip before giving a nervous smile, "Because I have no respect for this institution?"

"No- No, what?" Appropriately thrown, Andrew shook his head. "Please tell me that's not something a teacher has said to you in the past."

"Right. Lying it is. Gotcha." Not bothering to hide the smile he let slip, Andrew shook his head. They had both needed this, hadn't they? To just escape from their normal lives for a short amount of time and to play characters that were not their own.

"I gave you detention because I wanted to talk to you without you giving me an excuse and running off." Watching the teen shift nervously and flick his gaze around the room, Andrew softened his smile. "I'm here to help, Danny, but I have trouble doing that when you shut me out like this-"

"I'm not shutting you out!" Danny seemed surprised with his own words, his cheeks flushing again as he stared down at his desk. "I'm not, I just… I'm not very good at dealing with people who care, I guess."

God, Danny probably didn't even realize- This scene was so familiar to them and Andrew could almost remember word for word a similar conversation they had when they had first began to be friends. A re-write, then, but maybe keep some familiar lines. "Yes, well. I'm afraid you're rather going to have to get used to it."

That earned a grudging smile, Danny looking to him before sighing and looking out towards the windows, "There are others who probably have it worse, you know. My problems aren't really that unique."

"Comparing your pain to others doesn't help anyone. Your pain and experience is valid, no matter what else." It was so easy for the lines to be blurred, for this game to be more than just a game. Andrew wondered what Danny might slip if he continued to play this character. He wondered what _he_ might let slip. "Talk to me, Danny."

"It's nothing-" Stopping himself at the look Andrew gave him, Danny sighed and rubbed at his arm. "Just… I guess I let what people say get to me more than I would like." Darkness, Randy had said. Andrew couldn't feel what Randy was able to, but he could see more than others. "Lately I've been having trouble with this… With this person." Was this really the only way Danny could talk to him about this? "Whenever we talk, she says things that… That hit a little too close to home."

No… No, it wasn't that. This game of their was a filter- A buffer. It was a way for Danny to talk without it _hurting_ him so much. Oh, his sweet little halfa. How much pain had he suffered through these past few months, "I take it this isn't exactly a recent development."

"Not- Not really." Danny rubbed at the back of his neck, eyes downcast and expression shuttered and closed. It reminded Andrew of when they were nothing but tutor and student- Well. For this scene, that fit rather aptly, didn't it? "She's bothered me before a lot, but lately she's gotten so much more- So much more _vicious_. It doesn't make sense- It doesn't make _sense_.

"Everything she does makes sense. She always has a plan, always a set path that she follows no matter how it ends. Everything she's doing right now- She's deviating, she's changing, she's- It isn't _right_. It's more than just trying to get to me, I think she's trying to-" Danny cut himself off with a hitching breath, looking up to Andrew. "It's just more stressful than I thought it would be."

Andrew searched Danny's eyes, measuring his response by what he saw. It was plain to see that Danny wanted their game to continue, that he didn't want to think or talk about what he said just then. Considering he had finally told Andrew - albeit in a roundabout way - what had been bothering him for months then he supposed it wouldn't hurt to keep playing for a while longer, "Oh, Danny… Why haven't you told anyone about this before now so something could be done?"

"She's not exactly someone that's easy to deal with, Mr. Riter," Danny broke character for only one moment to give Andrew a grateful smile before he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Besides, who would I tell? I don't want to drag the few friends I have into this-"

"A teacher, or an adult- Someone who can actually do something about this so you can stop getting hurt!" Andrew was playing his character perfectly and yet there was still so much care and concern he was letting slip into his tone. Danny was right. If this was life for them, and not just a game… Andrew would have fallen in love with Danny no matter what the scenario was, of that he was certain.

"Who would I tell!" Danny stood up with a sharp enough jerk to send his chair to the floor, expression equal parts wild and pleading. "Who would I _ever_ be able to tell! My sister is off at college, my parents are always wrapped up in their studies, and no teacher here about me gives a _damn_!"

Trying to let his expression be open, Andrew looked at Danny with sad eyes, "And me? I suppose I don't give a damn about you either, then?"

"You…" Danny's rage evaporated like that, eyes darting away from his own and shoulders hunching in on himself defensively. "You're just a substitute. You're temporary. You won't stay, you'll be here and then you'll be gone like you were never here."

"Danny-"

"Let's not kid ourselves, Mr. Riter, we both know how this would end." Danny paced to the other side of the room, Andrew rising out of his chair and pausing at seeing Danny was only looking out the window at the falling snow. "Even if our age wasn't what stopped it, there's still the fact you're a ghost and I'm just human."

"No more dancing around the subject, then," Andrew sighed, running a hand through his own hair and scrubbing at his face. "Danny, it's not age or species that I'm worried about, it's the fact that right now I'm your _teacher_. I'm in a position of power over you, that can lead to a rather skewered relationship-"

"You've never acted like you're above me, though." Danny glanced back for only a moment before looking back out the window. The scene outside was as if it was lifted from a picture in a book. The trees were bare and empty, not a leaf in sight, and snow coated the entire world. It made everything feel softer around the edges, and smaller. It was as if the world had narrowed down to just them. "You've always treated me like an equal instead of some kid who never stops bothering you."

"That's because I never really saw you as bothering me," Andrew cautiously moved to stand beside Danny, fingers brushing against his arm. "Talk to me, Danny."

"You're a ghost." Danny's voice was as soft as the snow. It was equally as distant, as well. "It might not be about age right now, but… Say this went somewhere. Say _we_ went somewhere. It would be fine for a while but then what about when I turn thirty? Forty? Fifty, sixty, seventy- I'm still _human_." Danny gave him such a lost look that Andrew wasn't sure there were even lines anymore. There was nothing but them. "Mr. Riter, I'm really sick of getting hurt and left behind."

Silence settled between them, both staring at the falling snow. Slowly - so slowly - Andrew twined his fingers with Danny's. "Daniel Fenton. I was warned about you the moment I was hired here." The funny thing was that wasn't even a lie. "They told me you couldn't stick to a schedule to save your life and you were at the center of all the trouble in the school."

"Weren't exactly wrong," Danny said quietly, hope in his eyes as he tightened his hand around Andrew's. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because the moment I heard about you I was _captivated_." The silly little hero who risked everything to keep others safe. How different this teen was from the life Andrew had led. "You have no idea how fascinating you are, do you? How easy it is to get wrapped up in you and the life you lead." With each word, Andrew had Danny backing up more and more against the ledge that led to the window. The two were now face-to-face, hands still entwined. "Why won't you let me in?"

"Because I'm scared." The words were whispered between them, breath mixing and mingling. Danny's eyes were wide, glasses doing nothing to hide the emotions within them. "I'm scared that you'll leave." Shifting, Danny blushed brightly and bit on his bottom lip as his free hand slipped up to curl against the lapel of Andrew's coat. "I'm scared that you'll leave and… I'm scared of how much I _want_ you."

There was still shyness in the teen's tone but there was also _heat_. A heat that was warm and soft and sunk into his skin, trapping him where he stood and yet drawing him in closer. It was a heat that he gladly drowned in, one stronger and more fierce than the fire that had ended him. It sunk into his very bones and chased away whatever cold lingered from the outside.

The game paused and the story twisted in the air around them. This was the scene that decided it all, wasn't it? How the story ended, where it went from here, how it became what it would… All of it traced back to this one moment.

:::

Slowly, so slowly and so softly, Andrew let his hand slip up to cup Danny's cheek. The teen's eyes slipped closed at once, head straining into the touch as a quiet whimper slipped out. Whatever heat the teen's words had caused, it was _nothing_ compared to that one sound. "Oh, Danny… Danny, Danny, Danny…" Letting Danny's hand go, Andrew slipped the scarf out of the way, lips brushing against the pounding pulse that he could near hear. "You haven't an idea of the things you do to me."

Danny let slip another quiet noise, a mixture between a whimper and a whine as his now free hand clutched at the back of Andrew's touch. It was as if the teen was hanging on with whatever strength he had left, "You're a substitute. In a year, you won't even be here. You might not even be in this _world_ anymore."

"That diminishes this moment?" Andrew pressed closer, backing Danny up against the ledge and blocking him in. "That diminishes what we have now? What this could become?" Shaking, Danny slowly opened his eyes, breath coming out quick and uneven. "Danny… You need to tell me to stop. If you don't want this, you need to tell me now because I'm not sure I'll be able to stop myself if you don't." And _God_ wasn't that the truth.

He wanted this teen so much. Wanted him naked and willing underneath him, squirming and arching from the touches and sensations. Andrew wanted this teen _wrecked_ , nothing able to leave him but begging and Andrew's own name. To see this pale skin marked up with countless bites and bruises, oh, what a picture that would make.

"How much could you even give me?" Danny's voice broke halfway through, body shaking as he moved to throw both arms around Andrew's shoulders and cling with all the strength he could muster. " _Andrew_."

It was a moment Andrew couldn't stop. One he wouldn't have stopped if he was able to. Lips crashed together and he was silencing Danny with every scrap of emotion he had in him, pushing him up to sit on the ledge and stand between his legs. He pressed in close, giving him no escape, no room to maneuver, no way to _leave_. "Everything. Just tell me what you want and I'll give it to you."

"I see you," Danny panted through heaving breaths the moment they parted, eyes wide and face flushed as Andrew leaned in to pepper him with more kisses. The desire to feel that skin under his lips was too strong for him to ignore. "I see you, you know, every day. I see how you look at me, Mr. Riter. I see how you watch me, observe me, never take you eyes off of me-"

Andrew bit sharply at Danny's neck, doing nothing to soften the bite and only lapping at the specks of blood he drew. Whatever the teen had been saying ended with a _moan_ , Danny arching and pressing right up against him. A low groan left as Andrew bit at the same spot once more before kissing and sucking at the mark- _His_ mark. The mark that showed Danny was _his_. "Did- Did you know this would happen?" Danny's voice was wrecked to pieces. Sweet thing… They had only just started. "When you gave me detention so you could talk to me, did you know something like this would end up happening?"

Andrew silenced him with another kiss, pressing him further and further back onto the ledge until the teen gasped at the shock of cold that must have came from his back hitting the window. Andrew didn't waste the moment for what it was, merely deepening the kiss and pressing closer. Danny shuddered underneath him but made no move to pull away, instead choosing to tug at Andrew's coat and pull him closer.

One hand cupping the back of Danny's neck and keeping him tight against him, another slipped under clothing to rest against bare skin. Andrew let a sigh of content slip out into the kiss, nails trailing down Danny's spine and causing the teen to arch beautifully under the touch. "Oh, Danny…" Pulling away just enough to look, Andrew licked his lips at seeing the teen limp against the window, completely docile in his hold and eyes dazed and clouded. His face was flushed and his chest heaving for breath, clarity nowhere to be seen, "Tell me no."

Still panting, Danny locked eyes with his and slowly tilted his head so Andrew could see the blooming mark, "Never." Andrew was on him again in a moment, rocking his hips forward and swallowing each low whimper and moan Danny let pass his lips. "You don't even know, do you?"

Lavishing the teen with another few kisses, Andrew pressed his lips against Danny's neck for a moment. He couldn't stop his smirk as he felt Danny freeze under him once his belt was phased away. Working the zipper down, Andrew chuckled softly as his hand rubbed at the growing erection. "You haven't the faintest of ideas…"

Danny shook against him, a high whimper leaving him as Andrew dug the heel of his palm in. Laughing again, Andrew phased the teen's pants and boxers off just enough to let them slide down to the ankles. "They were right about you being a little troublemaker." Surging up, Andrew bit sharply at the edge of Danny's ear, delighting in the squeal it earned him as Danny squirmed and twisted against him. Andrew bit down harder until the teen went limp underneath him, hardly moving an inch.

"Don't you know, little Fenton?" Andrew crooned softly, licking at the tip of Danny's ear as his voice came out a mere whisper, "Ghosts are _possessive_." The low moan that left Danny was utterly _delightful_ , Andrew nuzzling against the teen's cheek as he tapped into his powers and phased every bit of clothing off the teen.

Pulling back enough to look, Andrew gave a quiet purr at seeing Danny hard and naked, shivers wracking through the sweet thing's body as he stared up at Andrew with wide, trusting eyes. Plucking the glasses off, Andrew gently set them aside as he kissed at the other side of Danny's neck. "Sweet one, you should have known better when you started this little game."

Biting down sharply to form another mark, Andrew reveled in the teen's sharp gasp and jerk against him, "You see, we like to keep what's our hidden and tucked away from the world. We like to save our treasures and keep them just for ourselves, lavishing attention on them as we deem fit. Oh, my sweet little dear."

Kissing his way down Danny's chest, there was more whimpering and shuddering as Andrew's teeth caught on sensitive skin. He left kisses and bites in equal measure, free hand lightly pinching Danny's thigh and grinning at the groan it earned, "You were right, you know." Pulling Danny closer to him, Andrew kissed his way down to Danny's navel, giving the spot a sharp bite. The gasp and jerk it earned him was certainly something he would remember for the future. "When you said I was staring at you…"

Letting his kisses trail lower, Andrew let his voice go quiet and breathy, soft as the gentle snowfall outside the window. "I was always staring at you. You captivated me the moment I saw you, and with each conversation… I always stared at you. Admired you. Gazed at you when I thought you might not notice."

Andrew's voice became quieter and quieter, as soft as a whisper as damp air brushed against a part of Danny that had him squirming and whining, a hitch heard in his breathing. "So badly wanting to _touch_ you." Andrew let his lips trail down further, fluttering kiss being traced against Danny's cock. "Wanting so very badly to _taste_ you."

With that, Andrew was flicking his tongue out and licking at the droplets that leaked out, pinning down Danny's bucking hips and watching as the teen's eyes slipped closed, fingers and toes curling in pleasure. Smirking, Andrew repeated the motion again. And again. He pressed closer and closer with each time before he was wrapping his lips around the tip and sliding down with a low groan, Danny heavy on his tongue with a taste that was near indescribable.

Andrew felt a hand curl in his hair, Danny's back bent over and entire body curled around Andrew's head as he shook. Giving a quiet hum around his full mouth, Andrew watched with captivation as Danny became more and more lost to the pleasure, flush growing across his body. Shifting to get more comfortable Andrew began to bob his head, sliding up and down on the cock he worked with his mouth.

It wasn't long at all before Danny had both hands wrapped in his hair, hips bucking more at the feeling and breath leaving him fast and rapid. Instead of giving the teen what he wanted, Andrew gently wrapped his hands around Danny's wrists before pinning them against the ledge he sat on. Pulling back, he let Danny slip free as he moved to look the teen over again.

A displeased whine that sounded hurt and pathetic broke through the air, Danny staring at him with bright red cheeks and eyes that were glazed over and swirling with green. "My precious little one, how sweet you are for me," Andrew spoke softly - reverently - as he leaned forward to brush kisses against whatever piece of skin he could reach.

"I told you, Danny, I told you that I would give you everything," Andrew kissed at the corners of Danny's eyes, words murmured against the skin. "Oh, my sweet little Fenton, you pushed and pushed and were so _tempting_. Your every move and word you measured to draw me in and did you even realize? Did you really understand how different a ghost is from a human?"

Andrew gave a sharp tug to Danny's arms, bringing the two closer together and smirking as he slotted their hips together and drew another quiet noise from the younger. There was something so very satisfying about still being fully clothed yet having Danny bare and wanting underneath him.

"You see, ghost emotions are quite different than what you're used to dealing with. They're so much more volatile." A roll of his hips and Danny arched against him with a cry, struggling to get closer from where he was being held down. "Our emotions are so much deeper and wilder. You can only push a ghost so far before they snap."

This time the roll was more of a sharp grind, a high keening noise leaving Danny's mouth that sounded like a _plea_. "Ssh, ssh, patience, my dear, patience." Andrew pressed a kiss to Danny's cheek, eyes closing at the pure bliss of having the other close. "You have to understand, dear one, there's only so much we can bottle up and tuck away."

Tapping into his powers, Andrew let warm energy flow into his fingertips. He may not have had the raw ectoplasm as most ghosts did, but he knew how to use his own to great effect - not to mention his was so much _warmer_ than what was considered normal. Pressing another kiss to the corner of Danny's lips, Andrew released one wrist to brush his fingers against Danny's chest.

The reaction was near immediate, Danny jerking and squirming against him and shaking more than he had since this had started. "Oh, Danny… When we can no longer bottle our emotions up then we start to slip. Of course you - brilliant, stubborn, wonderful, _beautiful_ you - had to be the thing to use up all of my control."

Letting the energy build up, Andrew let go of Danny's other wrist to lavish attention in as many places as he could touch, following up with kisses and bites to wherever he could quickest reach. Danny was curled against him, legs around his waist and ankles hooked together to keep him close. Arms as well were around his shoulders, Danny's eyes a swirling ecto-green and a mouth open wide showing small fangs peeking out. He was so beautiful.

"And then when we have no control we ghosts tend to rely on pure instinct," Andrew was hardly paying attention to his words, more concerned with the mark he was making higher up on Danny's neck. There was a sharp gasp that could have been his name, Andrew cooing and rewarding Danny by starting a gentle rhythm of continuously rocking their hips together. "Do you know what all my instincts are saying right now, mon cher?"

Covering Danny's lips with his own, Andrew trailed a hand down Danny's spine, energy still coursing through him. The sharp arch the teen gave pressed their hips even closer together, Andrew purring as he let his fingertips trail across Danny's entrance. Parting to let the teen suck in air, Andrew's voice became a soft croon once more, "Sweet little Fenton, how much do you really know about ghosts?"

Not bothering to stop the heat that filled his hands, Andrew only channeled more raw energy into his hands, sculpting it much differently than he usually did. "Did you know that while ectoplasm is what we're made of, we can also summon and tailor it to suit specific needs?" Giving it a familiar consistency that was smooth and wet, Andrew slowly began to push in a fingertip.

It was an action Danny hadn't expected, the teen tensing up sharply for a moment before going absolutely boneless, limp in Andrew's arms as he panted against his neck. Smiling, Andrew lavished the younger with kisses as he continued working a finger in and out, curling his free arm around the teen to drag him closer.

There was a breathless groan of his name that turned into a sharp whimper as another finger was worked in. Andrew kissed him deeply again, pressing his fingers in deeper until he brushed against a spot that had Danny jerking against him with a muttered swear in a language that no human would ever be able to speak.

The fangs had grown longer, his eyes glowed with unearthly energy, and the language that tumbled from his lips was something that should never even be heard by humans. Frost crept across Danny's skin, his pretty pink flush beginning to turn blue in places as he writhed in Andrew's hold. "Oh, Danny… You're so beautiful."

The only thing Danny managed to respond with was Andrew's name, voice cracked and utterly wrecked, eyes glazed over with tears and emotion, "Ssh, I'm here, love, I'm here." Divesting himself of just enough clothing to free himself, Andrew pressed fluttering kisses across Danny's brow. "I'm here, I'm here."

Working the teen open just a bit more, Andrew silencing the whining with a kiss as he shifted the two of them until he was guiding his leaking cock into Danny. The moan it earned him was utterly _lewd_ , Andrew fighting to be slow and gentle as he distracted the teen by fisting at the younger's own cock. "Danny, Danny, Danny, it's okay, I've got you. Just let go, my love, I'm here."

There was no game as they kissed this time, the kiss that they shared as familiar and well known as they were to each other. Andrew worked himself inside Danny until they were as close as they could get, Danny completely broken apart underneath him. "It's alright, mon cher, I've got you."

The pace he set was slow and deep, Andrew building Danny back up piece by piece, working him further and further into his pleasure. There were no words needed as they moved with each other, Andrew kissing at blue cheeks and tugging at black hair that began to be threaded through with white.

Still stroking Danny's member, Andrew shifted to brace Danny against the window before finally speeding up the pace. "Andy," Danny's voice was quiet, an echoic tone embedded in it as he looked to Andrew with half lidded eyes that spoke of nothing but love. Andrew silenced anything else with a kiss, hand that was tangled in his hair moving down to rest over the beating core.

Pressing closer, Andrew let his powers flare, sending energy directly into Danny's core. That was all it took to have Danny arching up against him with a loud cry that broke through the kiss, the teen coming hard against him. Andrew kept the pace up, working the teen through his pleasure and moaning at the feeling of Danny clenching around him.

Lost in his own pleasure, Andrew didn't notice Danny had moved until he felt nails scratching across the back of his neck with pressure that was just shy of painful. A moment later and fangs were biting at the tip of his ear, so careful yet so _sharp_. Andrew felt himself fall apart in a flash, just barely managing to keep himself braced over Danny as he near whited out from the pleasure.

It felt like an eternity before he heard a breathy chuckle, a hand guiding him to tuck his face against Danny's neck before his hair was being pushed back. "That an early Christmas present then?"

"If you wish," Andrew chuckled, leaning up and slipping out, watching the gush of liquid that seeped down Danny's thighs. It was made better by Danny's soft, pleased moan, the teen shuddering and tugging Andrew down for a sweet kiss.

:::

"If Randy asks, we spent the whole hour grading homework and cleaning," Danny said, raising an eyebrow at Andrew's laugh.

"Please, he's probably thought up worse than what we've actually _done_. Come on, up you get." Scooping Danny into his arms, Andrew carried him over to his office chair and sat down before looking for a cloth. "Okay?"

"Better than," Danny sighed, relaxing against Andrew's chest and kissing at the underside of his jaw. "Whatever you're apologizing for, apology accepted."

"And who says I can't dote on my mate for no reason," Andrew teased, tugging Danny into another kiss. "Je t'aime, mon cher."

"Je t'aime aussi, mon ange." Danny pecked the tip of Andrew's nose before straddling his lap and winding his arms around Andrew's neck. "You know...we have quite a bit of detention left. I don't think I learned my lesson."

"You are utterly incorrigible." Andrew wouldn't change this boy for the world.


	27. Chapter 27

Bonjour mes chers! I'm so sorry for the long pause between updates. I've had these chapters written but I haven't had time to really proof them where things have been so hectic recently. Hopefully they're worth the wait!

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things at ibelieveinahappilyeverafter

Warnings for: Mentions of past murder, blood, and descriptions of broken bones in the next two chapters.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

::

"Well, well, if the little punk isn't awake at last." It wasn't the words that had Danny snapping fully awake, but the ethereal, echoic tone that signaled the fact it was a ghost speaking to him. Heart speeding and racing - heart, not core - Danny forced himself to keep utterly still as he cracked an eye open, trying to appear as unconcerned by what was happening as possible. A quick mental check of his body showed that yes, he was very much hurting in some places, and yes, he was actually chained to where his body was hanging _off the ground_. The tips of his toes brushed just enough to give him a bit of room to work with, but not enough to alleviate the burning pain tearing through his shoulders.

"Walker." Of course it was Walker. It was always fucking _Walker_ that attacked him when he was least expecting it and when things were just starting to go well and when everything felt as if he had a chance to be _normal_ \- "Stealing people in the dead of night again? I thought you would have learned your lesson from last time. Then again, I suppose all of those prison outbreaks prove you don't learn much, huh?" _Fuck_. How had Walker managed- He was hardly ever alone or at Fenton Works these days, choosing to instead spend all of his time at Vidya or Liz.

"Come on now, kid. It's not really considered stealin' when I'm just reclaimin' some lost property of mine." Walker's thick southern drawl crashed into him and near drowned him, Danny fighting to choke back a sensation that felt as if he was swallowing _tar_. If Spectra was poisonous then Walker was _toxic_. It wasn't just how he was obsessed with capturing ghosts and locking them up - a more intense form of Skulker's own obsession - but he was one of the few ghosts that had crossed the line into threatening and hurting humans. Danny never would forget the time that Sam had near been hurt by Walker's plans. "It took quite a bit of trouble to catch you, boy."

"I happen to be pretty well known for being troublesome, so I guess I can't fault you too much." Smirking, Danny tried to look around and expand his senses as much as he could. The way their words echoed made it seem as if they were in a large cavern, the sound of dripping water only attesting to such a feeling. There were two faint glows that he could see, one coming from Walker's aura and another coming from the chains that Danny was wrapped up in - meant to keep his ghost side sealed away, he was willing to bet. What he really wanted to know was just where Walker had gotten them. "Come on, Walker, we both know how this ends. I get free, you get your butt kicked, and I go home happy and healthy."

Danny smirked, looking as cocky and self-assured as he could as his thoughts raced and tumbled through his head. He didn't remember being captured- He didn't _remember_ \- Okay, stay calm, Fenton. Stay calm and backtrack. Last thing he had been doing… School holidays had started and it was two days before Christmas. He had been shopping in the human world with Randy, the two trying to find good Christmas presents for Andrew. Danny had sensed a ghost, or… Or maybe it was Randy who had sensed a ghost? Someone had left- Himself?

"Brag all you want, ghost boy, but I have a feelin' that things are goin' to be a little different this time around. Call it assurance." Staring up at Walker for a moment, Danny was hit by the overwhelming realization that he had _forgotten_. It… It was hardly his fault. Things had been going so well lately and he hadn't seen Spectra in weeks. Andrew and Randy had both been spoiling him with attention and love and he was finally looking forward to a Christmas which was just around the corner. Everything had been wonderful, lately.

He had forgotten, though, how quickly things went wrong in his life. He had forgotten how _quickly_ terror and fear seeped into his bones and stole his breath away. Trepidation halted his movements and paranoia dogged his footsteps and made him jump at how there was nothing there. He had forgotten how dangerous his life was. He had forgotten how he was so much more than just another teenager.

"That little mutt that follows you two is mighty protective, I'll say that much." The calm drawl had Danny snapping his attention back to the conversation, eyes slightly widening as he saw Walker was pacing outside of Danny's _cage_. "Course, it was pretty easy to grab you when we had the benefit of some new toys."

Some of the darkness lifted and a clear memory flashed through Danny's head of Walker and a dozen guards all wearing belts around their waists. The technology had looked similar to something Vlad had been designing that was meant to hide the signatures of ghosts- Stolen. Vlad's lab and Axion Labs had both been broken into a few days ago. He remembered his mother and Vlad complaining on the phone about it.

"Oh, so that's how it is, huh?" Danny laughed, jostling some of his wounds and making him hide a flinch. More banged up than he first thought, then. "You couldn't capture me yourself so you stole from someone who's _actually_ a threat to me." And oh, that was so not going to be good for Walker. If It was one thing Vlad hated more than losing, then it was being stolen from. Well, that and Danny being hurt. After the truce the two had made, Danny had found that Vlad was _very_ protective over him.

"What that rat will never find out won't hurt none." It was a sad fact that Danny's thoughts were more on how horrified Andrew would be over Walker's grammar rather than how he could escape. Shaking his head a bit, Danny focused back in on Walker, the ghost pacing outside his cage a few more times before sickly green eyes focused on him. The color was nothing like Andrew's - or even Danny's - but instead were a sickly green that reminded him of bubbling, toxic sludge found in his parent's lab. "You know, boy, you have a high price on your head. No doubt those hunters would be mighty pleased to have a gift like you dropped off on them."

Hunters? Did he mean ghost hunters? The only ones even _near_ Amity Park anymore was his family and they all knew about him. Surely that was common knowledge that even Walker had to know at this point. Walker only continued with his threats, a thoughtful look on his face, "Now, what were those there fellas called… Ah, the Guys-in-White."

At that, Danny felt his reaction slip by before he could stop it, laughter falling out of him in surprise, "Seriously? Those idiots?" There was still that lingering sense of unease about them from his last run-in with the group, but they were still the _Guys-in-White_. Even the name was ridiculous. "Come on, Walker, I thought you were better than that!" Sure there was a sudden lump in his throat and a feeling of lead coating his insides but… It was just the GiW. They were useless. They- They could never be a real threat to him. "At least make it an actual threat."

"Oh, they used to be," Walker chuckled, sitting himself down on a rock outcropping a few feet away. "They have gone downhill since my day, though, haven't they?" Wha- What? Since… Since _his_ day? "Course, back then, we were known by the name of Section 13." Walker's smile cut through the darkness around him, a terrifying image full of sweet charm that hid sharp thorns and wicked hate. "Why do you think I'm so good at catchin' ghosts, boy?"

"Yeah, catching them and then letting them get away." Calm. Calm, calm, calm, _calm_. Stay calm, Danny, don't let it get to you. Just stay calm. Taking a breath, Danny tried to keep still and stay as calm as he could- Tried to channel as much of Randy and Andrew as he could… As much of White Fang and the Priest. "Do you really think you can keep me trapped here, Walker? You think that you'll be the one able to keep _them_ from finding me?"

And that was right, wasn't it? Walker hadn't just pissed off two or three humans, this time. He had managed to piss off his entire family, another half-ghost, and two master assassins that would do anything to keep him safe. Laughing, Danny shook his head again, "You think you win? That you'll ever win? You can never win with them already out there looking for me."

"We'll just have to see about that, ghost boy, now won't we?" Watching as Walker stood, Danny made a rather immature expression at his back. "You haven't noticed your new jail cell yet, have you? Made it special just for you." Laughing again, Walker glanced back. "Damn shame, isn't it? How not many know just how many holes this world has." Those sickly green eyes swirled with pleasure and hatred, the sight making Danny click his mouth shut as words died in his throat. "Where you are now? Let's just say this is one hole that was tossed out."

"They're going to find me." Danny straightened himself out, pain flashing through his body that he pushed away and ignored. He would not lose. Not to this _thing_. "What happens when a mate gets taken, Walker."

"Somethin' really interestin', ghost boy." Chuckling, Walker calmly walked away, footsteps echoing across the rock chamber and sounding like the march of an executioner- Of course. That was his favorite part, wasn't it? "Rumors spread fast about that mutt and writer of yours. Now, what were those names… White Fang and the Priest, wasn't it?"

Walker was gone in a flash, Danny staring at the spot where he had been standing as the world around him plunged back into near complete darkness. Gritting his teeth, Danny forcibly took a calming breath and looked around his environment more, slowly and carefully taking stock of his injuries. Judging by how he was breathing alright he didn't have any broken ribs - maybe a few sprains and bruises but he didn't think anything was cracked. Spine was a bit worse for wear but he could move and feel his legs. A sharp pain from his ankle… Sprained, maybe. Broken? He'd have to be careful of it for a while.

Tensing up different parts of his body to test for anything else, he winced sharply as he got to his wrist. It was definitely snapped. Wouldn't be much use in a fight, but he could probably figure out something if he needed to. Neck felt a little sore, but he could attribute that to whiplash and being tossed around. His clothes were a little worse for wear, but he had his shoes still on - as well as scruffed up pants and a torn jacket, but it was something.

Taking a few more moments to adjust, Danny shook his head with a rough sigh. God, even his ghost senses had been taken away from him. The only thing that was keeping him from panicking and having an attack was the fact he could still feel that familiar spark of cold - distant and faded as it was. Looking back to the ecto-restraints he had around his wrists and ankles, Danny bit the inside of his cheek. Section 13… Walker had just become much more dangerous.

"What happens when a mate is taken…" Groaning, Danny shook his head. With how Andrew and Randy were… "Please don't do anything stupid."

::

"It wouldn't take much to kill them all." Andrew had a wicked sharp knife in hand, fingers tapping against the sharpened edge and drawing a few droplets of blood ( _ectoplasm_ ) every so often. He paid no heed to the sensation, far too used to such a thing. "There's only ninety-seven of them. We've killed more in less time before, grand frère."

"Steady, Andy." Steady. Easy. Focus. Calm- How could he be calm when his _mate_ was _missing_ and- He knew. He knew who he was right now. He wasn't Andrew Riter. He wasn't the Ghostwriter. "You know the laws of killing another ghost."

"They deserve it," Andrew (he was the Priest now, though, wasn't he?) hissed, clutching his knife and calming at the shooting pains that came with the sharpened edges slicing against his skin. "Grand frère, I want to kill."

"I know, mon petit, I know." At the touch to the back of his hand, Andrew easily held his palm out for Randy to inspect, gaze remaining trained on the lair that floated a few hundred feet in front of them. The ghost that had been used as bait to draw Randy away from Danny had been easily captured, and the information had been _happily_ given. Walker… Of course it would be Walker to steal his precious mate.

It would be so easy to steal him back… The Priest and White Fang had taken care of greater threats in their day. This was just another black spot on their records. "Ssh, it's okay, mon petit, it's alright. Focus for me, okay?"

"Oui, grand frère." Focus. Andrew Riter. He was Andrew Riter, but… His mate was missing- Taken. He couldn't be Andrew Riter right now. "Grand frère, you'll let me kill, won't you? Let me kill them."

Randy only kissed his temple after letting his hand go, fingers tapping a nervous rhythm against his guns (claws they were claws black claws that _dripped_ with blood). "We need to find Danny, mon petit. Danny comes first." Oh, he was trying to hard to hold back but Andrew could see so clearly through his dear Randy (his precious White Fang who guarded him always). He wanted to draw blood just as much as he did.

"Their guard is lax, no one is prepared. There's a five minute lag between each pass of the guards." As Andrew rattled off everything he had observed, he saw more and more of his sweet White Fang slipping through. "Most of them are outside and any who are inside are spread out and far apart. Their screams wouldn't summon any help."

"Really, now…" There. ( _There_.) That quiet purr threaded through his words, that spark of bloodlust playing in his eyes and making them near glow. "It's like they're asking for a break in." They were slipping so quickly and was this really all it took? Years of trying to suppress who they were and all it took was their precious little mate to get taken and… It didn't need much more than that, did it? Danny was _theirs_ and he was _taken_. They needed to get him back (he wouldn't mind too much blood he knew what they were). "Five minute window. Fourteen guards on the outside wall, two in the hallway, limited use of powers."

"He'll be kept towards the center." He shouldn't like this as much as he did. The fact that Randy's guns were loaded with bullets laced with blood blossoms, or the fact that Andrew had his pouch of old knives that were made for killing and causing _pain_. "Grand frère, if we see Walker, I want to kill him."

A moment passed before there was a hand threaded through his hair, Randy staring into his eyes before he sighed (Randy, White Fang, _Randy, White Fang, he couldn't tell_ ) and he was giving a weak smile. "Let's play a new game, mon petit." Oh? "First one to get to Danny without killing wins."

Without killing… Danny. Focus on Danny. He wasn't- _No_. He was Andrew Claude Riter, current school teacher, very good writer, and Danny's mate. He was not the Priest of Death. He wanted to be so badly just this one last time but- He knew. He knew one last time would never be enough. Not if he fell. "Merci beaucoup, grand frère." A game. One last game. The one with the lowest number wins, this time.

"Let's go find our wayward little Phantom now, oui?" A flash and the two were darting forwards, Andrew in the lead and Randy a step behind just like always. The two reached the outer walls of the prison before they were climbing through in a flash, powers suppressed and not used once.

"If we're seen then an alarm will be thrown up for everyone." Breaking in was the easy part, but finding Danny and getting out without killing (he so wanted to kill just that _one last time_ ) was going to be difficult.

"Then don't let yourself be seen," Randy laughed, the sound feral as he loaded his guns, white energy swirling around them. "Guard up, mon petit. Some of us aren't in shape anymore, after all."

"Randy," Andrew frowned, letting a knife slip into his palm. "Don't be so hard on yourself." At the pouting, dramatic look, Andrew finally allowed himself a small smile, thoughts settling for a short time. "I need him back, Randy." Danny kept his grounded. Sane. He needed Danny just as much as the other claimed to need him.

"Then let's go get him," Randy's words were a promise. They would get him back no matter what it took, and Randy had never broken a promise to him. "Focus, Andy."

"I'll try." An entire childhood couldn't be erased and forgotten no matter how long they tried. It had been twenty years for his mind, but only a few for his body. It was far too easy to slip back into his training and to listen and breath and _feel_ for each target he had been assigned- No. Not assigned. He wasn't the Priest of Death any longer but _oh_.

He would gladly become the Priest of Death once more if it meant keeping his mate safe.

::

"Alright, Fenton, nice and easy." He had found that the cuffs were nailed to the wall and made to where his shoulders were pulled up and behind his head in as awkward a way as they could be. Walker, being the ultimate douche he was, had made sure Danny suffered as much as possible. God, at least he wasn't nailed to the floor. That was always a pain. "Just edge up…"

Since he couldn't phase out of the cuffs and his ghost powers were locked away, he had to rely on his human strength and whatever ghost strength naturally seeped through. If he could get the angle right, he might be able to put enough force into his pulling to at least break the hook keeping him pinned to the wall. He would still be in cuffs, but at least he would have more movement.

"Clockwork, I'm officially blaming you for all my suffering right now." It was a damn shame that Clockwork's powers weren't 'all knowing' like so many people believed. Sure, he could see the intricate details of _major_ events, like Dan, and Pariah, and things of that nature. He mostly just saw glimpses of the millions of things that could or could _not_ come true, though. Being a timekeeper had to suck.

"Right, okay, focus. Sprained maybe broken ankle, _definitely_ broken wrist, hurt spine and neck, and fuzzy vision." That could just be from where his glasses were gone, of course. Hopefully his splitting headache was just from the darkness and poor eyesight and not from a concussion - knowing his luck, though, he wasn't hoping too hard. The small memories he kept getting back weren't helping much, either.

He had remembered it was a day or two before Christmas and Randy and him had gone shopping, but then they had felt a ghost signature that they didn't know. Randy had told him to keep searching the bookshelves and that he'd be back, ruffling his hair and smiling and saying that he deserved a break from ghost fighting for a change- God, some _break_.

"Focus, Fenton." For a second, he could pretend it was Randy or Andrew talking to him. Sighing, and shifting on the ground again, Danny tried to keep the mental picture of his chains in his head. He was chained to where he was hanging an inch or so off the ground and had to stretch to touch anything, shoulders taking all of his weight. Walker really was such a dick.

If he could just jerk forward fast enough- No, that would strain his shoulders even more and maybe dislocate one of them. The last thing he needed right now was even more pain- Although, maybe… Maybe, maybe, maybe… Recalling the stretches Randy had taught Danny - and various ways to get out of handcuffs - Danny twisted and shifted until his chest was facing the wall of the cage, one hand each gripping a portion of the chain and feet braced against the bars. Staring down at his crossed arms, Danny gave a hesitant tug before nodding.

Jerking back suddenly, he put all his weight into both pulling on the chains and pushing away from the bars. It was ten seconds of this before the harsh sound of breaking metal filled the air, Danny falling to the ground and scrambling to land in a way that wouldn't hurt too badly. Of course, with his luck, he instead landed in just the right way to make _everything_ hurt. His wrist and ankle weren't exactly pleased with his stunt either, he found.

The only thing that kept him from screaming in pain was the thought of how badly Andrew and Randy were going to tear Walker to shreds. Pushing himself up to at least sit, Danny let slip a groan as he curled in on himself, "Come on guys, where are you…"

::

"Leave it to you to lead us to where everyone is having _lunch_ ," Andrew hissed, back pressed against the wall as he strained his hearing.

"Complain, complain," Randy muttered back, finger nervously pressing against the trigger of his gun before backing off and pressing against the safeguard, eyes swirling between blue and white. Andrew had no doubt his own were doing the same between green and purple - he wouldn't be surprised if red seeped in, either, the way things were going. "Any preference?"

"I want him to suffer." Walker had dared to take his mate and hurt him and for that Andrew wanted that monster to _suffer_. There would be no kindness of death for him, of that Andrew would make certain. "I need to find Danny first, Randy. I _need_ him." Danny was the only thing that ever seemed to keep him sane these days and managed to keep him from becoming the Priest all over again.

"Ssh, relax, precious little brother," Randy crooned, eyes completely white and hand cupping his chin. The voice and expression was pure White Fang and Andrew couldn't have felt safer in the moment. White Fang protected him, and he had no doubt he would do the same for Danny. "I'll take care of everything."

A flash of white and Randy was gone around the corner, Andrew hearing yelling and firing guns before he was darting off into his own direction. White Fang would be able to keep everyone distracted for a good half hour before he started getting tired and a full hour before he would be low on energy. That would give Andrew plenty of time to try and track down Danny - or Walker. Finding either one would lead to the other. He just had to stay focused for a while longer. He couldn't afford to lose himself to the Priest when Danny needed him.

"And here I was just thinkin' about how I never got any company. Ghostwriter, isn't it? Or should I be goin' by the Priest of Death?"

The laugh bubbled out of him before he could stop it and he could _feel_ it (never could hide his nature for long). The knife in his hand was sharp and deadly, and the smile growing on his face near covered the quiet noise in his throat that built itself up into a hum (hm, hm, hm, _so many sinners to kill_ ). "Oh, Walker… What a mistake you just made."

Cold steel in his palm, complete darkness in his eyes, and a smile that was so wide and happy and so _right_ (home, home, _home at last_ ), " _The bell chimes one, the battle's begun…_ "


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

**::**

" _Fuck_." Danny had forgotten what with the mess that he was dealing with, but depending on how long he had been trapped down here, then that probably meant it was _Christmas Eve_. He was missing Christmas because he had been kidnapped by _ghosts_. Of all the fucking- The _one year_ he was looking forward to things!

With Vlad no longer being his 'arch enemy' he had managed to end the Christmas feuding between his parents and have them get along for the holidays. They had a nice little family gathering planned, only a small chance of the food coming to life, and he would have gotten to spend the day entirely with Andrew and Randy. Instead he was here, in a cage, trying to find a way out.

Not only that, but he had discovered that Walker was possibly working with the Guys-in-White and giving them information on ghosts and how to capture and defeat them! That would explain why they had suddenly become so powerful. They had an old member helping them out… Section 13, god, why did that sound _familiar_. He would need to remember to ask Vlad and Clockwork about all this. No doubt all of them were going nuts at figuring out he was missing - would Randy have told them all or just Andrew?

Not bothering to hide his scream of rage, Danny kicked against the bars of the cage that was keeping him trapped. He was utterly unsurprised at the pain that shot through him since he had kicked with his _hurt ankle_. This day just couldn't get any worse, could it?

Gathering his wits, Danny looked around again to try and find some way out. It was still pitch black, only the faintest of glows that naturally made up the Ghost Zone to give off any light. He was mostly maneuvering on feel, but that could only get him so far. He needed to find a way to get these cuffs off, or find someone who could. Not that that was very likely considering where he was trapped.

He really hoped Andrew and Randy were doing okay… No doubt Randy was blaming himself for Danny being taken, and if Danny was feeling so much panic and fear at being separated from his mate, he could only imagine what Andrew must be going through at the moment.

"Please be safe, you two." He knew how they could act when things got tense and they fought others. If they found Walker and couldn't find Danny right away…

 _"The Sanctum, Danny, the_ Sanctum _. Surely he must have mentioned it? The Priest of Death left such a legacy, after all."_

::

"You aren't any fun." Alarms were blaring across the halls, sickly red and green light filling the area as shouts and rioting were heard from the courtyard. "I thought you would be _fun_ to play with, Walker." Andrew was pouting as he watched his target, knife held loosely in his hand as he swayed and danced through his movements. It was so strange to see his knives and the halls stained with green instead of red.

"What the hell _are you_." Aw, poor little ghost. He hadn't even _known_ \- Oh, he knew his name, but lots of people knew that. Oh, but no, no, no. No one knew the _terror_ that came with that name. Really… Such a foolish little creature to believe that he could stand a chance against the Priest of Death. "You ain't ever somethin' that was _human._ "

"No… No, I don't think I was." His coat swished around his legs (purple, not black, and no, that was wrong). "Death gets everyone in the end." His grey skin glowed sickly in the lights (grey? it should be tan), his body not turning as quickly as it should have (he should be leaner and quicker but he would make do if he had to he would _make do_ ). Focus. There was a mission to finish, after all, and a target to kill. "It even got me."

Walking forward his footsteps were measured and even, yet they were as soft and light as a feather (death flowing towards you). "You didn't even really know, did you? How did you not know?" A hum clawed its way up his throat (a lullaby of death and rot) as Andrew got closer and closer. "You should have known what would happen when you took him from me." Danny, Danny, Danny, ( _Danny Danny Danny_ ).

Purple (not black), grey (not tan), taller and fuller (not smaller and quicker), and he was so different to where he wasn't even the Priest anymore, but… He could never escape who he really was, could he? This time, though, this time _he_ had chosen the target. He had never been able to choose his target like this, but now… Oh, now he couldn't _wait_ to kill this one.

"If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord they God, in transgressing his covenant." The words slipped out of him like sweet, _sweet_ honey, filling his mouth as if they had always belonged there.

"What are you talkin' about, boy!" Walker had power glowing in his hands and oh, he was by no means a weak ghost, but, well. Andrew was stronger.

"Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones," Andrew trailed off for a moment, eyes trained on Walker as laughter bubbled out of him, knife warm and willing in his hand. "Til they die…"

Sorry. He was so sorry, Randy, Danny, but he couldn't keep that promise, because just… Just once more. Just one more life- But, it wasn't really a life, was it? They were all dead. They were all God's lost children and Andrew was just doing what he did best. He was returning them home.

"Amen."

::

"Come on, come on, I need to get out of here." Danny had paced the circumference of his cage at least three times and no matter what he did he couldn't find a way out. If what Walker had said was true then he was probably somewhere in the Old World. Andrew had explained that it was broken pieces of the Spirit World and Randy had taken him to see a few biomes, but he had never been in a place this _dark_. It felt as if it was a place where not even time existed. Taking a shaky breath, Danny leaned against the cage bars.

His third circuit showed that they had a faint glow to them which meant they were either doused in blood blossoms or they were ghost resistant. Danny wouldn't be surprised if it was both considering how drained he was feeling. "Please… I need to get _out_ of here." God, who was he even begging? There was no one and nothing down here but himself. "Randy's probably driving himself crazy with guilt and Andy will hate himself if he lets go. Please, I need to get to them."

Anything. Anyone. He needed to get _out_ of here. If he was in this cage surrounded by ghost proof bars then his aura - if it wasn't already suppressed - would be near completely blocked. Randy may have been more sensitive to auras than most, but not even he could track Danny down like this. Walker had thought this through, that was for certain. "Please…"

There was silence in the cavern, Danny shivering from the cold that seeped into him - out of him? - as he stared at the bars. Silence- No. Dripping water, pebbles and stones falling from the cave ceiling, and a constant hum were there. That constant hum that proved he was in the Ghost Zone. And… No. No. He was not letting it end like this.

"Fine. I'll just help myself." Gritting his teeth, Danny looked around his cage with renewed determination. He was the hero of this story? Fine. He'd be the hero, but he was going to do it on his terms this time. "They need me and I need them just as much. I'm not letting this all end just because Walker put me in a stupid _cage_!"

Shouting, he realized, was probably not the best thing to do in such a large cavern. The only reason he realized this was because there were now giant _boulders_ tumbling down onto the top of his cage. Dropping to the floor and tucking himself into a ball, Danny squeezed his eyes shut and waited for it to end.

When it finally did, Danny opened his eyes to see a thin layer of dust in the air and… You had to be kidding. The cage… One of the rocks had _broken_ the cage and there was now a big enough hole for him to climb out of. Staring at the spot for a long moment, Danny finally let out an incredulous laugh as he stood back up. "Right. Right. Let's see if I can't get a little closer to them, yeah?"

Climbing around the jagged and broken bars, Danny glanced to where the cuffs were still around his wrists and ankles. They at least provided a little light, enough for him to creep forward until he found a wall, Danny narrowing his eyes as he placed a hand against it. Definitely a cave, but that didn't narrow it down much. Maybe it was the Black Woods instead of a biome? That was one of the most dangerous parts of the Ghost Zone and filled with plenty of dangerous things that would want nothing more than to kill him. Again.

Right, completely lost and with no idea where he was and limited to no access to his ghost side. Par for the course for him, really. Shaking his head, Danny groaned as his headache got worse. He kept having the lingering feeling ever since he had woken up that he was running out of time. Time… Shouldn't Clockwork have managed to find him by now?

He wasn't meant to interfere on order of the Observants - the fuckers - but due to the events of Dan, Clockwork had made it to where he was _allowed_ to interfere in Danny's life. By now Jazz or someone should have told him and he should have been able to track him down, yet there was nothing but darkness and silence.

"Let's see… If I was an insane warden who wanted to trap his most hated prisoner away from everyone in the world, what would I do?" Ghost manacles to trap his powers, as proven. Humans maybe had some 'ghostly' ability in the Ghost Zone, but it was limited. Ghost manacles, stealing him when no one was looking, and… And, and, and… "Oh."

Moving along the wall, Danny stopped at seeing glowing colors of red and black and smelling that sickly sweet smell that _burned_. It was death and hatred and _cruelty_ and- "This… This makes things harder."

::

Everything was so blurry. It hurt. His head hurt. He couldn't think and everything felt so wrong- " _Ssh, ssh, ssh, it's alright, dear little brother, it's okay._ " French words - his mother tongue - were sweetly cooed to him, the voice hardly more than a purr. " _Just focus on me, my dear one, just on me._ " Brother…

"Ra- Randy?" The memories clicked into place with sharp clarity, Andrew's breathing stopping. He had managed to get Walker pinned and badly hurt before throwing a knife towards his core, and then a ringing gunshot and he was pressed against the ground- "Walker?"

"Alive, for the moment. Although he might not be when I get through with him." The growl was far more comforting than it should have been, Andrew relaxing at once and hiding his face against Randy's chest. He had almost… They had _sworn_ to never do anything like that again and god if Danny had ever found out- "It's alright, Andy, nothing happened."

"I wouldn't call that nothing." Slowly sitting up, Andrew glanced over to Walker, wincing at how bad off he looked. "I… I definitely wouldn't call that nothing." The ghost wasn't even moving and Andrew wouldn't be surprised if he had lost consciousness.

"Well, maybe not nothing, but you and I both know it could have been a hell of a lot worse." Feeling himself pulled to his feet, Andrew didn't fight the hug he was pulled into, instead burrowing closer with a quiet sigh. "Alright then, Walker, let's talk, shall we?" Oh, so he was awake, then.

"And just what makes you punks think I'm goin' to be doin' any talkin' to _you_ ," Walker sneered, Andrew wincing at the gunshot that dug itself into Walker's shoulder, the scream proving that Randy's new blood blossom bullets were very effective.

"Must you really?" Rubbing at one of his ears, Andrew frowned at Randy. "They're always so _loud_."

"Not all of us use knives," Randy teased, rubbing at Andrew's ear himself for a moment before he was darting forward, Walker on his back and a foot pressed heavy over his core. "Now, Walker, let's have that talk. It's really very simple. You tell us where Danny is, we don't torture you."

"'Torture', huh?" The laugh Andrew heard was nothing. _Nothing_. "You punks don't even really know what hell is, do you?"

"Oh, Walker." Too close. It was still too close. Andrew could feel it in the way his hands curled around a knife that was already in hand, the way he stepped closer as if eyes were upon him at every moment. The way his words came out like a prayer. "We grew up there."

::

Fucking _blood blossoms_. Danny wasn't sure how the hell Walker had managed to get them there, but there they were in front of him. He only had to walk so far before he found them placed around him in a ring, trapping him off. He had to grit his teeth in his rage as he realized that even though the cuffs kept him from accessing his ghost powers, he was _still_ half ghost.

He could feel it thrumming under his skin, an icy cold that kept building that he wanted _out_. Power that pushed and weaved through him, making him far more - far less? - than human. The cuffs kept him from using it because he could feel it building and building - a reason he could feel the blood blossoms so clearly, he was willing to bet.

They were sickly, twisted things that pushed up against his mind and body, crushing him, pushing him back, caging him off and he wanted out _he wanted out he wanted out of here this was wrong this was so wrong he wanted out-_

Stumbling back, Danny near screamed at the jolting pain in his wrist and ankle as his back hit the wall. He couldn't even tell if his vision was blurring and fading as his legs slid out from under him. "Andy, Randy…" He wanted Andrew. He wanted Randy. He was just…

He was Danny Phantom. He was Danny Fenton. He was _the_ ghost of Amity Park, the one that 'haunted' it and protected it all at once. He was from a family of ghost hunters that had been around for so very long. He was the hero. He was the hope for the future. He was the one who saved everyone. He was the one who _saved everyone_. He… He…

He was so tired. He just wanted to rest, he just… " _I wonder how much humanity you lose each time you change."_ Was he even human, anymore? Was he even a _ghost_ anymore. It felt like each moment more he spent in either world was a moment that he was drifting away from the other. For so many years he had closed himself off from the Ghost World and now he was drifting…

Shifting back and forth, drifting from world to world. He didn't know what he was. He didn't _know_. He just...

" _Do you want to be a normal human child? Or do you want to be another average ghost? All this changing and shifting… Who's the real you, Danny? Fenton, or Phantom?"_

He didn't know.

::

"Wow, can I just say that I'm super grateful for Randy right now?" At the amused tone, Andrew only gave a growl as he struggled against the hold that was _keeping him from his mate_ \- "Ankle, wrist, head, and spine." Fine, alright, okay, Danny was hurt, Andrew would be careful, now _release him_ -

"You know, I could be wrong, but I think he's happy to see you." Safe. Danny was safe. Curled up in his arms and pressed against him. Wonderfully, _blessedly_ alive and safe.

"Think you might be right- How'd you guys get rid of the blood blossoms?" Andrew couldn't stop his purr at how easily Danny curled up to him, how happy he was to submit to Andrew's worried checking and poking and prodding. It was only made better as Randy sat down beside them, easily starting to remove Danny's cuffs- _Cuffs_. Perhaps he had been merciful on Walker. The Priest could have done so much more to him.

"I have enough raw power to level a goddamn town, Andy can rewrite reality as a whole, and we're two master assassins. Did you really just ask how we got past a bunch of flowers?" Safe, safe, safe, wonderfully and perfectly safe.

"Flowers that _hurt_ ," Danny gave that brilliant smile. The one that shined so brightly and carried so much pain and hurt and suffering. No doubt Randy could feel the same as what Andrew saw. "So, um, think you can get these cuffs off?"

"Easily," Randy assured, the first pair clicking open before he was working on the others, Andrew shifting Danny to get him more comfortable and oh, his poor little mate. "Do we need to get you new glasses, then?"

"Probably. Feel I should mention that I'm not sure if you're fuzzy because of that, or because of the possible concussion I have. Or at least, I think I have one."

"Knowing you, you probably do. "Randy sighed, shaking his head as the manacles clicked open and fell to the ground. It was hardly a moment before Andrew had Danny completely and tightly wrapped around him, the feeling of his energy coursing and thrumming around him sharp and clear and near overwhelming - although it only made him hug Danny closer. His poor mate, unable to even _change_.

"I was so worried about you." They were the first words Andrew had managed to speak, a ragged whisper that barely had any volume to it. He honestly thought Danny hadn't heard him before he heard the first sniffle, shoulders shaking and body caving in on itself. "Oh, Danny…"

"Come on, you two." Andrew felt his Randy's hand settle his shoulder, a glancing showing the other was pressing lightly against Danny's back. "Let's go home."


	29. Chapter 29

Bonjour, mon chers! Sorry for such a late update but I've been rather busy with my new job - the training has me on 8 hour days right now! Not to worry though because I bring two new chapters and a chance for the boys to get some nice, quiet rest!

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at [ibelieveinahappilyeverafter](ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com)

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

**::**

"Your hair is starting to get long." Andrew's voice was soft and quiet, Danny letting his eyes slip shut at the sound as he felt a brush ever so softly comb through his hair. "Are you going to cut it?"

"Mm… Not just yet." Christmas. Randy and Andrew hadn't managed to get him back until a few hours ago, after Christmas had already started. He was honestly surprised his parents hadn't come into the Ghost Zone, yet. "I don't…"

"I know." He didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to see his family yet. He didn't want to  _talk about it_. "I know, Danny, I know." The gentle hand carding through his hair had him calming himself moment by moment, the teen sighing quietly once he was relaxed again.

"The bad luck with Christmas prevails then, huh?" Honestly, this was a habit he could really stand to break. "Well, no… The one when I was fifteen wasn't all that bad." Tilting his head back, Danny smiled softly at seeing Andrew's worried and concerned expression. "Met you, after all."

"Terrible, you are." Andrew hugged him closer anyways, kissing at his cheek and gently holding his hurt wrist. "How is it?"

"Better, especially now that the speed healing's kicked in," Danny mumbled, trying not to blush as Andrew kissed his wrist so  _softly_. It was such a stupid thing to blush over, but he was always so flustered when Andrew was like this. "The concussion went away too, I think. Those go away pretty quick once I change."

"Small mercies." God, Andrew still sounded so  _wrecked_. Randy had quietly mentioned a confrontation with Walker when patching him up, only saying that the ghost was still alive- He would have to talk to Randy, later. No doubt he was still unsettled at letting Danny be kidnapped when he was  _there_. Randy had only left to let everyone know that Danny was okay. "We should have gotten to you sooner."

Oh. Oh, no. No, no, no. Danny was not letting Andrew do the whole self-sacrifice thing. Twisting around, Danny moved to push Andrew down, sitting on top of him and putting on his best glare, "No- No. Don't you dare feel guilty for not finding me sooner. Don't you  _dare_ -"

"You were surrounded by blood blossoms when we found you, Danny- You were hurt and had  _broken bones_ -"

"Because of Walker! This was all Walker's fault- Everything that happened the last few days, all of it was Walker being a  _dick_. None of it-  _None of it_  was your fault, got it? You and Randy did everything you could to track me down and save me. You were trying so hard, Andy."

"I almost-" Andrew bit his lip, looking nowhere near the calm adult he tried to act like. No… He looked like the scared young adult he typically was. "I almost killed someone, Danny. I felt it. I  _felt it_. I almost became  _him_  again- I  _did_ become him again!" Him. The Priest… "I don't-"

"I know." I don't want to be him anymore. I don't want to go back to that. I don't want to  _be him_. Danny understood. He understood his mate so much. "I know, Andy, I know. I  _know_." Dan. He had seen what he could become, in his future. It was Andrew's past that haunted him, but for Danny, it would always be the possibility of his future. "We're not them."

"We were… We could be." Taking a breath, Danny linked his hands with Andrew's, gently pressing them against the bed as he leaned down to kiss Andrew's forehead. "Danny…"

"Your name is Andrew Claude Riter. You're a ghost who died when you were twenty-two. Right now, you're a substitute teacher at Casper High. You have Randy who always worries after you and you have a  _scandalous_ affair with a student who happens to be your dorky loving boyfriend. You love libraries, you write books as a living, and you wanted to be a librarian before you realized how much you loved teaching others. You're not… You're not an assassin. You're a good person.

"You dismiss your students early when you think they need a break, you try to make the homework fun and exciting, you keep lessons interesting and answer questions others would think are stupid, you get so  _excited_ when someone finally figures something out, or starts showing genuine interest in something. You're a dork of a teacher who loves his job and his family and is just as average as every other person on the planet, minus the awesome powers."

Pulling back a little, he saw Andrew was  _crying_. He almost panicked before he heard a watery laugh, Andrew phasing his hands out in order to instead wrap his arms around Danny and pull him down for a tight hug. "How did I ever get so lucky as to have you in my life."

"Well, I mean-" He didn't even get to finish before Andrew was laughing, rolling them onto their sides and kissing his face in as many places as he could. Smiling, Danny captured Andrew in a proper kiss, tension draining out of him at the familiar warmth and feelings that filled him. "I love you, Andy."

"Je t'aime pour toujours et toujours, mon cher fantôme." Forever and always, huh… Danny could easily get used to that. "Now, did you  _really_ just tackle me with a  _broken wrist_ -"

"It's healing!" Danny didn't fight against it as Andrew sat them back up and tittered over him, inspecting his various scrapes and injuries and doing his best to be gentle. Really… Was he not supposed to fall a little more in love? "My parents are so worried, aren't they?"

"Which ones," Andrew scoffed, kissing and nuzzling at Danny's cheek as he held his wrist still. "Jack and Maddie tried to burst in here with ghost hunting weapons, Randy had to stop Vladimir form leveling near the entire city to try and find you, and Jasmine and Clockwork were looking ready to put together an  _army_ to find you."

Quietly counting, Danny gave a quiet hum, "So, one protective mate, one  _overprotective_ Randy, and five crazy parents who would destroy the world to keep me safe. And two best friends who took a blood oath to also keep me safe. Seems pretty nice."

At Andrew's look, Danny tilted his head. He didn't see why Andrew was looking so horrified  _now_ of all times. "Pardon," Aah, Andrew had certainly been through a lot if his French accent slipped in even more than usual. "Did you just say a  _blood oath_."

"We made sure ectoplasm wouldn't harm them, first," Danny shrugged, squirming to wrap his arms around Andrew and press their chests together with a quiet, tired purr. "No more panicking. Sleep time. Then we're gonna go back and I'm gonna punch Walker in the dick."

"You are not- You're so  _violent_  at this age." Hmph. Said the former assassin who constantly threatened death to half the teachers he worked with. "For now, let's just focus on getting you to sleep."

"Alright." Snuggling closer, Danny let a soft sigh slip as he felt more than saw the lights turn off, warm blankets being wrapped around him as Andrew did his best to keep his hurt wrist propped and steady. "I really do love you, Andy. Bunches and bunches."

"As I love you, mon cher. As I love you." And this… His life was dangerous, and everything always felt far too  _much_ , but on nights like these, with Andrew, alone and safe and warm, it…

He could keep going, like this.

::

"It looks like everything has healed alright - or at least is almost healed." Absently nibbling on a cookie, Danny let Randy conduct his examination in peace, watching a bit curiously. "I imagine staying in your ghost form all night probably helped." Well, he wasn't wrong. The superficial cuts had healed over by the first hour once his powers were back and everything else seemed to almost be completely healed. "You said you could still feel your powers with the cuffs on?"

"Yeah, it was like…" Pausing, Danny let his legs form back into a tail, swishing it from side to side as he thought. "There's this spark… This center of  _cold_ inside of me. I guess it's my core, now that I know about my powers and everything, but when I want to change I picture myself reaching for it and  _grabbing it_. When I had the cuffs on, I could still feel it was there, but I couldn't grab it. It was like trying to grab something that was intangible."

"Hm…" Randy gently bandaged Danny's wrist - he didn't need a splint where it was healing so fast, but Randy wanted to keep it braced and straight as possible so it didn't heal back the wrong way. "I think that's the reason you haven't tired yourself out yet, or changed back. You had all that power you kept trying to use and since you couldn't get to it, it built up."

"Like when I first got my ice core." That would be a time he would never forget, especially with how it had almost ended. "So me staying in ghost form all night…"

"Let the energy out naturally and gave you an outlet that wouldn't harm you," Randy nodded, cupping Danny's cheeks and tilting his head certain ways, watching his eyes. "Any dizziness, still?"

"Nope," Danny popped the 'p' with a little grin, laughing at Randy's look. "I'm fine, I woke up feeling like I normally do- Well, a little tired, but well enough."

"I figured you were okay going to sleep, since your concussion symptoms died down by the time we got back." Letting him go, Randy held up Danny's arm, staring at it. Danny was pretty sure he had lost it, more so when energy started gathering in his hands.

"If you're about to mark me for some weird blood ectoplasm ritual thing, just know that Sam and Tucker beat you."

"I know, Andy was complaining about it this morning. And no, I'm testing your aura." What? Staying quiet, Danny watched as Randy ran the energy along his aura just an inch or so away, enough for them to brush and touch. It had Danny sharply shivering at the feeling that washed over him. It was definitely Randy's energy, but he had never felt it so  _strongly_. "Sorry, it's the quickest way to see if you have any blocked or built up energy. Think of it like the chakra thing from Naruto."

"You… You did not just compare ghost powers to Naruto- Oh my god, you  _did_. I don't even know who you are anymore. Randall, how  _could_ you." As expected, Randy ended the exam by flicking Danny's forehead. "Rude."

"I  _am_ rather great, aren't I? And you're fine, all things considered. The blood blossoms didn't do any lasting damage, all your injuries are healing, and your core and energy are steady and stable."

"So… Are you like, a ghost doctor? Or a nerd? I mean, you do math for fun, and are always reading those math books." Another flick to his forehead had him huffing and falling silent. The kiss to the same spot that followed had him trying to stay silent and not  _blush_.

"I picked up some things where I'm always off doing work. Frostbite and the Far Frozen actually taught me a hell of a lot when I stumbled on them during the beginning." How the hell did Randy keep getting cooler? It really wasn't fair. "How's Andy?"

"He's…" Danny glanced towards the kitchen, knowing Andrew could hear them from where they were out in the main room and curled up on a couch. He didn't seem to be paying much attention - or he was just trying to show he wasn't. "He's Andy."

"Yeah, he is, isn't he." Randy's quiet tone had Danny leaning against him, giving a weak smile. Randy returned it, ruffling his hair. "Your hair's pretty long now, you know. Need it cut?"

"Nah, it's fine like this for now." Really, Andrew and Randy were too similar. "Any chance on making glasses magically appear for me, though? I tried Andy's spare pair and they're a bit  _too_ strong."

"Mm…" Randy thought about it before flicking his hand in order to summon something, Danny blinking at the pair of glasses offered to him. Slipping them on, he gave a delighted grin. "Good?"

"Near perfect. Are these old ones of Andy's?"

"Nope. They're mine."

"Oh, that makes sense." Wait- No, what the hell no it did  _not_ make sense. Staring up at Randy, Danny scrunched his nose up and just kept  _staring_. There was no way…

"Hey, not everyone can have perfect vision. Those who don't just have to make do." Narrowing his eyes, Danny leaned closer and  _stared_. "Yes, Danny, I'm wearing contacts."

"What the  _shit_. Since when do you wear glasses?" This- This was not right. Randy, the epitome of 'too cool' and 'punk', should be wearing  _glasses_. That just… That felt wrong. The very thought of Randy in glasses- Well, that made  _him_ feel wrong, but for entirely different reasons.

"Since he was ten." Blinking, Danny grinned as he was pulled into Andrew's arms as the man sat down. He grinned even wider at the cookies and cup of coffee he was given. "He didn't even wear them when we were doing missions."

"Hey, I had an image to keep up," Randy huffed, snatching a cookie and eating it himself. "It's not my fault if you were jealous I could use my weapons without corrective lenses."

"I wasn't jealous. I was cautious and kept thinking you were going to slip up and end up shooting me instead of the target." Feeling the nuzzles to the back of his neck, Danny couldn't stop himself from purring. Or from becoming a limp pile of content mush, tip of his tail flicking and squirming in delight. "Adorable."

"Oh, now you're just torturing the poor thing," Randy 'scolded', grinning far too much at Danny's torture. Honestly, couldn't even save him properly- Oh, he was rubbing at Danny's tail and  _god_ that felt good. "He's alright, you know."

"I know." Purring as loud as he was, Danny had a bit of a time focusing on what the two were saying. He found he didn't mind that much as long as Andrew just kept- Oh, head scratches. Hello heaven. "But I still…"

"Can't stop imagining what almost went wrong. I get it." Danny should probably say something, but it was very hard when he was so safe and so  _warm_  and curled up in Andrew's arms, listening to the gentle beating of his core. "If I hadn't left him alone-"

"Don't," Andrew scolded, and, yes, good mate. Scold the self-sacrificing idiot. "Just… It was something that couldn't be prevented, but we can- We can try to make sure it doesn't happen again. We're both… It might be in a different way, but we're both still learning and growing, aren't we? With Danny, and his friends, and everyone around him, we're… We're  _all_ learning to be a family. So it'll be okay. We'll get better, and we'll keep him safe, right?"

There was a long silence, Randy finally muttering under his breath, "Using your writer powers to make me emotional is cheating."

"Are- Are you cr-"

"It's dusty in here!"

"Randy, there's no dust."

" _Dusty_."

And yeah, they were all a  _wreck_. All of them had so much to fear, and so much they were running from, but… They were definitely learning from it. They were definitely  _growing_ from it. So yeah, life was hard, and Danny got really sick of  _everything_ some times, but… But this was  _good_.

His life might still be dangerous, and he might be pushed to his limits day after day, but this? With his family, with  _Andrew_? He wouldn't trade these moments for anything- Ooh, right behind the ears, and, okay. Danny could stand to laze around a little longer, he supposed.


	30. Chapter 30

Warnings for: sexual content - the passage will be marked by ::: so it can easily be skipped over!

* * *

**Chapter Thirty**

**::**

"I'm not drinking that." Danny glared at the glowing vial of liquid Randy was waving in front of him, pleading expression on the man's face. "I still remember the last time you used one of your healing things on me."

"That was burn salve and this doesn't hurt like that," Randy sighed, catching Danny by his chin and studying his eyes. It had been two days since The Incident and Randy was still cautious about his concussion coming back. "It's a replenisher."

"Like a blood replenisher?" That actually sounded pretty cool when he thought about it, but now Danny  _knew_ it was going to either hurt or taste disgusting.

"Sort of, only this one is for ghost powers. I have one for replenishing ectoplasm, but this one is for getting back energy. You've been using far too much with your healing over the last few days."

"But I don't  _wanna_." Any attempts at escape were ruthlessly cut off when Randy scooped Danny into his lap and sat down on the nearest couch, arms locked around him. Danny couldn't even bring himself to be upset, especially when he found his tail winding around Randy's wrist out of near instinct. "I still don't wanna." He was pretty sure Andrew was trying not to laugh at him.

"Too bad you hafta," Randy teased, kissing at Danny's cheek. Danny really hoped his blush wasn't showing as much as he felt like it was. "Hey, you wanna know the best part about this mess?"

"Sure, Randy, what's the best part about me being kidnapped by Walker." Deciding that was a  _little_ harsh, Danny opened his mouth and allowed Randy to tip the vial down his throat. It actually tasted...sweet.

"Since Walker fought us and stole you on Christmas Eve, that means he was in violation of the Truce." Oh… Oh, that was  _great_ news. "Which means his punishment goes straight to the Observants. I believe Clockwork might even be helping with the trial."

"That is a very good late Christmas present," Danny grinned, laughing when Randy nuzzled at his neck. Considering how clingy Andrew had been, Danny wasn't much surprised that Randy was acting the same way. They were even clingy with  _each other_. Although that probably had more to do with how much they had slipped back into their assassin natures, from what he had been told. "You're not going to let me go anytime soon, are you?"

"Hm, no, I don't think I am." Randy settled back on the couch, running a hand through Danny's hair and near absently combing his fingers through it. "Hey, are you going to that party your friend Sam invited you to?"

"Yeah, she wants to show her parents that she can be a 'proper socialite'. I think it's just an excuse to throw a wild house party so she can check that off her teenage rebellion list. Maybe scare people into realizing how rich she is." From where Andrew was sitting on the nearby armchair and typing, he heard a quiet snort. "She invited both of you, you know."

"That sounds like a horrible idea," Andrew frowned, looking up and shaking his head. "I have no doubt there's going to be underage drinking, and as a teacher of Casper High I cannot condone such a thing." Both Danny and Randy stared, Danny watching as Andrew tilted his head to the side. "Although, if I were to go as the boyfriend of Danny Fenton, I suppose I wouldn't really have to say anything on the issue."

"You  _spoil_  him." Looking up at Randy, Danny snuggled a bit closer, trying to look as cute as possible. "Ha, nice try, but it's not gonna work." Oh really?

Sighing quietly, Danny relaxed against Randy, letting himself slump before he was looking down towards the ground as he shrugged, "You don't have to go if you don't want to, it'd just… It'd be nice, I guess, to-"

"Stop- Just- Stop." Randy had a hand over Danny's mouth, Danny blinking in slight surprise. "I'll go. We all know I'm going to break no matter what, so let's just save ourselves the trouble of me trying to deny it."

"Now let's see, what's that American saying?" Andrew was grinning, gaze mostly on them instead of his laptop now. "Teaching an old dog new tricks?"

"It's 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks,'" Danny was struggling to keep Randy from covering his mouth again, laughing more than anything.

"Oh, well that's obviously not true. We have a prime example right here, after all."

"If you two are quite done mocking me," Randy managed to look as pretentious as Andrew for all of a few moments before he was attacking Danny's sides  _ruthlessly_. Really, he hadn't stood a chance at the utter torture that was pushed upon him. "Isn't his laughter just adorable?"

"Very much so." It felt like hours of agony before Danny was rescued, his body still spasming as he tried to curl up and hide under Andrew's coat. "There there, mon cher, I'll protect you from the mean old wolf."

"Oh? Aren't you the one always saying how you're the older one now?" Really, tickle attacks just weren't fair when Danny was up against  _Randy_ of all people. It was too mean.

"I certainly act like it," Andrew grinned, kissing at Danny's cheek and, okay, Andy snuggles were a very good thing right now. As much as he 'complained' about being smothered by the two the last few days… Well, it certainly kept the nightmares away. That was about all he could ask for at the moment - all he could  _hope_ for. "You know, I'm surprised you aren't planning 'party outfits' for all of us right now."

"Please. You don't think I have a dozen outfits for each of us completely made and stashed away in a room somewhere? Andy, you don't give me near enough credit." Floating off the couch, Randy flew over to peck both of them on the cheek, Danny satisfied to see Andrew had a faint flush on his cheeks as well. "I'll meet you two there, though. I need to go speak with someone who wanted to contract me for a job next week."

Waiting until Randy teleported out, Danny looked up at Andrew as pathetically as he could, "It's not just me, right? He's getting worse?"

"Oh, he's getting much worse," Andrew agreed, kissing at Danny's neck and tucking him close, and, okay. Danny was just fine with this seeing as Andrew was so  _warm_. He may have liked the cold due to his core, but nothing could beat being curled up in Andrew's arms like this. Well, maybe being curled up in Randy's arms, he supposed. "I'm waiting for the moment one of us snaps."

"He'll snap first, he's much too Randy to not, you know?" Danny decided to take the kiss as agreement, and not a way to shut him up.

::

One, two, threefour, one, two, threefour, one  _twothreefour_. Ah, Andrew was more cautious than Randy had first believed. His footsteps were too quick for the human disguises they had given themselves for the night, and the beating of his core was even quicker. Onetwothreefour, onetwothreefour,  _onetwofour_.

Danny, at least, seemed to be okay. The teen always jumped at shadows, but it was a touch worse tonight. Being so close to his friends helped at least keep him in the moment, instead of letting his thoughts drift- Good, good, he was being kept between the two of them. They really did know the boy well, didn't they?

Ah, there was Clockwork. A crack in the very air itself, displaced energy as a world of humans tried to contain something that could in no way be understood. A sense of belonging that kept him from being noticed beyond a passing glance and yet each clock stuttered if he came too near - only for a millisecond. Only for that infinitesimal moment of time as Jazz kept pace, talking and talking and filling up the gaps in time that filled the room.

Honestly, the Master of Time and he caved so easily to the human girl he had fallen in love with. It was so easy to see. The look was one he knew very well, after all- Andrew was nervous again. Darkness ate away at the edges. It was nothing like what infected Danny and kept dragging him down, it was… It was deeper, Randy supposed. A part of him as much as it was a part of Randy. Dried, rusted edges that were worn and sharp and dug into them from what they had been raised to become- "Lost in your thoughts, again?"

"You say that as if that's something new," Randy laughed, taking the offered red cup and drinking half of it in one go. It took quite a bit of human alcohol to get ghosts anywhere  _near_ tipsy. And that wasn't counting the fact he and Andrew had high tolerances to being with. "I'm not allowed to be a wallflower?"

"Generally it means very bad things when you've stashed yourself in a corner. Either for you, or for whoever you're watching." Mm, true. Randy had been one of the most feared of their Order for a reason, after all. The Priest of Death was terrifying, yes, but White Fang had been  _heartless_. "What's on your mind, Randy?"

"A bit of everything, I suppose." Randy hid a smile in his cup as Andrew wiggled his way between Randy and the corner wall he had been tucked against. It was so easy to let his rapid thoughts fade away when Andrew and Danny were beside him. "I noticed you aren't being very sociable either."

"Everyone here is a student of mine and Danny could use some quality time with his friends." Pausing, Andrew tilted his head. "And Clockwork and Jazz are unnerving at the best of times."

"Too true," Randy laughed, draining the rest of his cup. "You know, we should find a way to make this party a little more fun… Any ideas?"

"Well, I would have suggested destroying the building if I didn't know for a fact that Samantha would kill us in our sleep - ghostly nature be damned." It was adorable how Andrew had become fond of Danny's friends. "We can kidnap Danny and go home early?"

"Or we can have a little fun with all these tiny children who don't know what it means to really drink," Randy plucked Andrew's cup out of his hand before downing that one as well. It helped. Even a little helped drown out the constant thoughts - although he had learned the hard way that sometimes it wasn't always a good thing. "How many of them have been in drinking contests before, do you think?"

"As a teacher of Casper High I cannot condone that idea or that type of reckless behavior that would lead to students being in any type of harm or trouble." Andrew slowly grinned, Randy almost surprised to see his old braces - such a wonderful side-effect of the illusion - instead of wicked sharp teeth. "As Danny's boyfriend and Samantha's guest, however, I very much agree that something interesting needs to happen before they all get too bored."

"Perfect." Glancing around the room, Randy took in a million little details that he filed away at once. How many people, breathing counts, laughter, voices, everything that could be used as a weapon, exits, opponents- Andrew absently rubbing his cheek against his shoulder had his thoughts stuttering, Randy looking down at him before smiling. "Let's have a little fun with this, shall we?"

"Oh? And what type of fun did you have in mind?" He really didn't know, did he? Randy was aware of how much of his own behavior came from 'White Fang', but he had a feeling that Andrew was never aware of just how much he was the Priest some days.

"A way to scare the children here, mess with a few of the nastier ones, and a little bet to keep it interesting for us."

"Oh? Now I'm curious."

"I was so hoping you would be."

::

Groaning as loudly as he could with such a dry mouth, Danny opened his eyes and looked around for the offending noise that was grating on his ears and making him consider homicide. When he found it to be his phone, he dragged it over and blearily stared at it before remembering how to accept the call, "Five seconds."

" _Good morning to you, too. Just wanted to check that you got back to GW's alright after last night. Randy and him looked like hell after that drinking contest._ " Right. Sam- Aha, right, the drinking contest. That had been too much fun to watch, especially as the night went on.

"As they constantly say, French people don't get drunk. They get others drunk." A bit more awareness coming back, Danny yawned as he rubbed at his eyes. It was almost absently that he felt Andrew shift and curl around him, lips pressed to his shoulder and a sleepy greeting murmured in French. It had Danny's heart filling to the brim at the pure  _rightness_ of everything. Shame it would be a bit longer with Randy… One day. "How's Tuck?"

" _Hungover._ " His ghost hearing picked up a quiet groan and another snort from Sam. " _Definitely hungover. How's that ghost metabolism of yours doing?_ "

"Small headache, dry mouth, but nothing that bad, really. More just...fuzzy." Like there was cotton smothered over him, dulling everything and making it warm and relaxed. It… It was  _nice_. He couldn't remember the last time his senses felt so tapered off and quiet. Drinking was never really his thing, but having nights like that every so often wouldn't be something he would hate, he supposed. "You?"

" _I know how to hold my liquor and not overdo it, unlike half of your family. Did you see Jazz?_ " Thinking on it, Danny vaguely recalled the point Jazz had broken and joined a few of the drinking contests Andrew and Randy had started up. He desperately hoped he had gotten good enough pictures for blackmail because it had been wonderful.

"She ended up glued to Clockwork and I honestly wasn't sure if I was creeped out or amused." 'Glued' was phrasing it rather nicely, as far as Danny was concerned. His sister had been near hanging off of Clockwork, jabbering at him in every language she knew - as well as ones she just barely knew. It was more amusing than anything that Clockwork had ended up teaching a drunken Jazz a bit of German, looking to have been having far too much fun. Hm, he wondered where Clockwork had picked up German… Danny would think about it later. When he was more awake.

" _I never really thought about Jazz and Clockwork ending up together, but they make a pretty good couple. Remind me of you and GW, actually._ " Danny automatically glanced to Andrew at the mention of him, lips twitching at the sight of Andrew relaxed and asleep, hair a ruffled wreck and… And…

"Holy shit." The goatee. The stupid little goatee Andrew had stuck to his face since Danny had first  _met_ him. Since before he  _died_. It was gone. It was  _gone_. "Oh my god. Sam, Sam, Sam-"

" _Finally notice GW's shave? You really don't remember much of those last few contests, do you?_ " Rude. His ghost metabolism had kept him from really processing the alcohol, so he had mostly sipped from his cup and hung off of everyone he could. He did remember a drinking contest between Andrew and Randy with a few embarrassing bets attached, though. " _Randy was vicious. I think I actually tolerate him, now._ "

"Remind me to thank him later. I've been trying to find a way to get rid of that stupid thing since we became friends years ago." Shifting in Andrew's hold, Danny turned so he could better study his mate. The man was still mostly asleep, eyelids fluttering every few moments to show he was at least aware of the noise and the fact Danny was awake.

Looking again, his hair really was as much of a wreck as Danny's usually was, and a few bags were under his eyes from the late night and heavy drinking. His cheeks were a touch flushed too - not by much, but just enough to draw Danny's attention. His goatee missing, though, that was… It was a change but it was a  _good_ one. Although there was this weird… Weird… " _Did you fall back asleep? Danny, come on. I'm being dramatic in my bathrobe and sipping at an expensive drink as I think on last night's debaucheries._ "

"Your only debaucheries were getting Tucker drunk and forcing him to pay for the next three movie outings. And no, I'm not asleep, I'm just a bit busy." There was no way. Shifting and squirming again, Danny moved enough to extract his hand and cup Andrew's jaw, palm scraping against the  _stubble_ there. "Sammy. He has a five-o'clock shadow."

" _Holy shit_." Rubbing his palm against the jaw, Danny couldn't stop his grin as Andrew made a soft noise and tilted his head into the touch, what little tension there was in his body draining out of him. " _Take a picture. Take a picture and send it to me-_ "

"No, this sight is mine and mine alone and I'm keeping it to myself for forever. Talk to you later." Not even looking away from Andrew, Danny fiddled with his phone for a moment before hanging up and tossing it aside. "Andy, you awake?"

"Vaguely," Andrew mumbled, an eye cracking open to show a dazed and content look. "Remind me to not make bets with Randy when drinking. A lesson I still haven't learned, it seems."

"I dunno, I mean, he has pretty great ideas." Lazily moving, Danny struggled for a moment before he was straddling Andrew's hips and was chest-to-chest with him, both hands now on Andrew's jaw and rubbing against the stubble. It had Andrew giving another soft noise, hands coming up to wrap themselves in Danny's night shirt. "You have stubble."

"Nice to know that's the first thing you notice in the morning." How did Andrew look  _hotter_ with stubble and a near five-o'clock shadow? Weren't you supposed to look horrible and scruffy? But no, Andrew managed to make it look hot as all hell. "Hangover?"

"Nah, just...fuzzy." There was a hum of understanding, Danny thinking Andrew vaguely mumbled something. He wasn't paying much attention to that so much as the drag of rough, prickling hair against soft palms. "Why do you have  _stubble_?"

"Because." Yawning, and showing off sharp teeth that Danny had to resist the urge to mess with, Andrew opened his eyes and sleepily stared up at Danny with a soft, warm expression. "It's part of being a ghost, I'm afraid. A psychological aspect."

"Explain more." Because this was interesting, for one thing, and for another, Andrew's voice when it was rough from sleep and thick in his accent… It was making Danny have some very nice thoughts.

"When we die, our ghost forms look how we  _want_ to look, or play off of our fears and wants. I died with the goatee, so it stayed in my ghost form. When Randy shaved it, my brain had the automatic processing thought of what happens when I shave. Which means stubble in the morning. I used to shave all the time when I was in college. I only had the goatee because I didn't have much time to shave during finals when I died."

"You look so much older." That got a quiet chuckle, Andrew's hands moving to loosely wrap around Danny's wrists as he relaxed into the touches. "Like- Like not  _old_ old, but like, college undergraduate hot as hell old."

"Mhm." And this was even  _nicer_. Warm, fuzzy mornings were all well and good, but a warm, fuzzy Andrew who was so soft and compliant was like a late Christmas present that Danny hadn't even known he had wanted. "So, basically, shaving means stubble. It'll probably be like this all the time unless I start shaving again-"

"Don't." Bending down, Danny cut off Andrew's next words with a kiss. Well, it was less of a kiss and more of Danny just being unable to keep his hands off of Andrew any longer. It didn't seem Andrew much minded, hands moving to slip under Danny's shirt and rest on his bare back. The contrasting warmth of his own chill skin was so  _nice_. "You… Just don't shave for a while. Or ever."

"I'd rather not look like a scruffed up vagabond off the street when I go in to teach," Andrew mumbled, shivering as Danny's kisses started trailing across his jaw. It was so  _new_ \- Was this how Andrew felt when Danny got his new glasses?

"Trust me, everyone else will agree with me." Half of Casper High already thought Andrew was hot, and he was pretty sure there was a fanclub or two skulking around. Not that Danny had tried to join, or anything. "Just...keep this for a few days? For me?"

:::

"That's cheating," Andrew huffed, breath falling short when Danny pressed teeth against his throat, biting down on the soft flesh and unable to resist a noise at the  _taste_. Andrew tasted like something sweet, and heady, a taste that went straight to Danny's head and had him lost faster than anything else. "A-Ah-  _Danny_."

Playing and sucking at the skin, Danny finally let his hands wander from Andrew's jaw to other places, cooling down the heated skin he skimmed across and reveling in the returning touches and squirms. "Mhm?"

"Now you're just being cruel on purpose." Andrew did nothing to stop him, however, only pressing Danny closer to him and moving in just the right way to have their lower halves brushing and rubbing against each other. Mouth falling open in a pant, the moan Danny felt slip out of him was silenced by Andrew jerking him up into a kiss. The position was awkward for a moment as they bumped noses, a laugh escaping from one of them - Danny wasn't quite sure who - before they adjusted and pressed closer and  _oh_. Feeling Andrew's stubble with their faces pressed together was  _interesting_. "Hold on, hold on."

Pouting at being pushed away, Danny blinked as Andrew cupped his face and drew him back in, rubbing his cheeks against Danny's with a quiet purr. The prickly feeling of stubble scraping his skin rushed over him, Danny shuddering and making a soft noise that became stuck in his throat. When he looked back down at Andrew, the man was grinning proudly and- No.  _No._ "You… Did you just  _beard burn me_?" The laugh was answer enough, Danny huffing and pushing Andrew back down, pinning him to the bed before ruthlessly going for his sides with his fingers. The laughs only got louder, Andrew squirming and moving against him breathlessly, cheeks flushing.

It really shouldn't have made Danny even  _more_ aroused. It really,  _really_ shouldn't have, but… There was just something about a relaxed,  _happy_ Andrew that made him  _want._ That made him want to spend hours smothering the man in kisses and attention, moving together with breathless little laughter and moans. It… "And just what are  _you_ thinking of, mon cher?"

Andrew had managed to grasp Danny's wrists to stop him, smile still wide and cheeks still flushed as he leaned up to kiss at the cheeks Danny was  _certain_ was red. "Mm… Just how much I love you, I guess."

"I have similar thoughts about you," Andrew smiled, rolling his hips up against Danny's, hardening cocks brushing and causing Danny to let out a breathless sigh as he pushed back. "Good morning, so far?"

"It could definitely be better," Danny mused, bending back down to kiss Andrew on his lips. His nose. His forehead. His cheeks. His cute stubble. Everywhere he could kiss, he did. It was almost absently he realized Andrew was tugging at his shirt and pulling it up, slipping it over his head when he pulled back for a short moment. "No phasing?"

"No. I like this." It was awkward, Danny shifting his weight from one arm to the other as Andrew helped maneuver him out of his shirt. It was silly, and ridiculous, and it had Danny grinning widely as he immediately cupped Andrew's cheeks to kiss him again and again. As he did so, he felt fingers trace against the seam of his hip before slipping down into the crease of his leg, brushing up against his cock, a low groan leaving him at the sensation. "Keep going?"

" _Please_." That was all it really took to have Andrew flipping them around, a grunt leaving Danny at the impact of his back and head hitting their mattress. Looking up, he saw Andrew looking a little contrite, small smile twitching on his lips.

"Hi." God, he was so in love with this man. Grinning like an absolutely idiot, Danny pulled Andrew down for another kiss, this one warm and soft and as languid as the morning they had woken up on.

"Hi." It started to blur, then. Articles of clothing were pushed and tugged off one by one - slowly, and lazily, as if savoring the moment. Heated touches became almost playful, quick little tickles slipped in every so often that had one, or both, of them giggling.

It became less blurry when Danny felt soft kisses pressed to his shoulder, Andrew's fingers massaging around his entrance with cold lube that he had slipped out when Danny wasn't paying attention. The sensation had him torn between gasping, mewling, and purring, legs spreading open wider as he felt the tip of one finger gently push in. "I swear to God if you spend the next few hours teasing me-"

"It's not teasing if I always deliver." The laugh was quiet and deep, the sensation near shooting through Danny as he felt teeth against his shoulder, and then an arm wrapping around him from behind as a hand buried itself into his hair. Sighing, Danny tightened his arms around Andrew's neck, pulling him closer.

There was a soft chuckle, Andrew finally working a finger inside of Danny, moving it in an out at a pleasant, relaxing pace. Sure sex was rough and fast and  _brilliant_ between them a lot of times, but Danny really,  _really_ loved times like this, as well. When it was slow and relaxed and he could really focus and appreciate the drag of Andrew's fingers pushing and dragging against the inside of him.

Shifting to press back a little, Danny gave another soft sigh as he pressed kisses to the side of Andrew's face. He wasn't sure how long it was before he realized three fingers had been worked into him, the pads of Andrew's fingers pushing and pulling and pressing inside of him, driving him near mad as it got to be more and more. "Keep going?"

" _God_ , yes." Shifting to press back again, Danny bit his lip sharply at feeling the fingers brush a particularly sensitive spot. There must have been a reaction to clue Andrew in as to what happened since Danny felt Andrew mercilessly tease and play with the spot. "Andy… Andy, 'm not gonna- Want more."

"Okay." Andrew paired his answer with a little kiss to Danny's lips, pulling his fingers out and pushing himself up on his knees. Danny watched him, feeling how flushed he was. It probably became worse when he saw the tip of Andrew's cock - shining with lube - pressed against him, teasing once again. "Deep breath, mon cher."

Taking a deep breath in, Danny jerked at feeling Andrew slide into him in one smooth motion. He only just muffled himself by biting Andrew's shoulder, a hint of his fangs coming out if the overly sweet taste in his mouth was anything to go by. "Easy, mon cher, easy. It's alright, darling, it's alright, I have you."

Andrew was curled over him, one hand bracing his weight and the other buried in Danny's hair. He was making small rocking motions inside of him, Danny so very aware of how  _full_ he felt. At how  _amazing_ he felt. It was almost on instinct that he relaxed bit by bit, the rocking motions getting longer, and more forceful. "Andy." Danny wasn't sure if he was begging, complaining, asking, or just saying his mate's name because he could. Whatever meaning was in there, Andrew seemed to spot it, expression becoming soft and light as he bent down to draw Danny into a soft kiss. "Andy,  _move_."

"So needy." The laugh was warm and  _fuzzy_. Soft around the edges, and near blurred. It washed over Danny and enveloped him in cotton. He was aware of the nails brushing against his scalp, taking the utmost care to not pierce. Of teeth and a tongue licking and brushing across his skin, small marks that he knew Andrew would kiss at later. Warm hands that kept him together, kept him going. It felt so  _good_ , and Danny didn't even try to stop himself as he pushed back up towards Andrew to meet his thrust, the man groaning low in this throat at the feeling. "Don't stop."

"Now who's needy?" Peeking an eye open, he saw Andrew was flushed in his entire face and chest, eyes dilated and shining a brilliant purple as he moved into Danny, picking up the speed. His eyes were dazed yet  _focused_. Focused on nothing else but  _Danny_.

"You're such a brat," Andrew laughed, voice breathless as he shifted, angling his hips to get more of a reach. It worked, since he thrust in just the right way to have Danny near arching off the bed. "Oh? I think you liked that."

"Bastard." It was Danny's turn to laugh as lips pressed against his neck in a fluttering, near ticklish kiss. "Keep going?"

"Always." It seemed Danny only kept relaxing more and more instead of tensing. He could feel his orgasm approaching, pleasure building inside of him, but it was less… It was less frantic, this time around, and more like it was rising to meet him, instead of overtaking him.

"Andy." The word was a prayer, a plea, a hope, and an answer all in one. It was everything. Everything important that needed to be said. He felt Andrew's hand wrap around his aching member, touch gentle and reverent and all too much.

He was falling apart at once, moan low in his throat as the heightening pleasure rushed over him, drowning him in waves as he went lax under Andrew. Still feeling the man moving inside of him, breath coming out in pants and body tensing, Danny lazily reached up to Andrew and brushed their lips together, "Come for me, mon ange?"

That was all it took to have Andrew giving one last thrust and clutching him close, moaning Danny's name as if it was  _everything_. Shuddering at the feeling, Danny gently stroked Andrew's hair, laughing as he all but collapsed on top of him. "Shu' up. Comfy."

"And you're heavy," Danny hummed, shivering and squirming as he felt Andrew move enough to slip out of him. Throwing his arm to the side, he grasped a shirt before bringing it over to wipe them off a little.

:::

"'S my shirt," Andrew complained, humming at the treatment before cupping Danny's cheek and pulling him into a kiss. "Je t'aime."

"Je t'aime aussi," Danny grinned, dropping the shirt off the side of the bed and rolling over to curl back up in Andrew's arms, not a tense spot in his body. "Sleep in?"

" _Fuck_ yes." Really, Danny couldn't stop his snort of laughter if he had tried. It was just… Danny loved these moments. Being wrapped up in Andrew and watching him be  _himself_  instead of the adult he spent so long as. "Although you might need to convince me not to shave a bit more."

"Mm, I think I'm up for the challenge." Kissing at Andrew's cheek, Danny let himself relax in Andrew's arms, sighing as he felt a hand card through his hair. "I don't think I have words to really explain to you  _how_ much I love you."

"You don't need them." Andrew tilted him up for another kiss, words soft and consuming. "I already know."

And yeah… Danny could stand for more mornings like this one.


	31. Chapter 31

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at [ibelieveinahappilyeverafter](ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com)

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-One**

**::**

"Now, I know what you two might be about to say about last night, and before you get after me, I made sure that all the people I challenged to  _serious_ drinking contests were of drinking age." It was probably rather telling of himself that Randy immediately launched into a defense the very second he heard footsteps approaching the kitchen. Still, better to apologize even if he didn't need to. He had found that one out the hard way.

"Everyone there was under twenty-one- Most people there were under the age of eighteen!" Ah, Danny was much calmer this morning than he had been last night. Randy could feel the smile that was wide on the teen's face and the flush that was no doubt sprinkled across his cheeks. His entire self was calm for now. That damn darkness lingered, but it was pushed to the very outskirts, brushed over and hidden away under the pulling tides of joy that washed over everything. For now, at least, things were good.

"Yes, but the drinking age in France is sixteen." He had only challenged the seniors, anyways. Well, he had also attempted to challenge Clockwork near the end. That one hadn't worked out so well for him, but Clockwork did give him a portal back to his lair at the end of the night, so that had been nice of him. "They knew what they were getting into."

"Or perhaps, grand frère, they were merely as charmed by you as everyone else." Aah, Danny was so good for his sweet Andy. That deep darkness was low and soft, blurred around the edges and shifted to something warm and comfortable. "At least some of them had the common sense to not challenge you after seeing that smile of yours, though."

"And here I thought you liked my smile." Focusing back in on the breakfast he was making, Randy added a few finishing touches before getting the plates out of the cabinet and turning around. "I'm just saying-" Oh. Oh, that was  _new_. Barely taking the time to set the plates down - well, dropping them really - Randy moved to cup Andrew's cheeks, palms brushing against the  _stubble_.

"Yeah, that was my first reaction." Danny's quiet laugh was like a pleasant background hum, Randy's focus trained entirely on Andrew and his reactions. While the man had startled at first, he far too easily relaxed at Randy's touch. It was when he felt Andrew nuzzle his cheek against Randy's palm that he knew he was starting to break. "Looks great, doesn't he?"

"Very much so." He had last seen Andrew alive when the kid had been seventeen and still growing into himself. Afterwards he had that stupid goatee and ridiculous get-up but now this-  _This_ was something he could let his attention be wrapped up in. The sight of hundreds of small black hairs coating his cheeks, the smell of morning soap where he had washed up but hadn't bothered to shave ( _good_ ), the sound of Andrew's soft hum and steady core, the feel of that rough sensation scratching against his palms and grounding him so easily, and, oh. He certainly knew what he wished the taste could be. It took more effort than it should have to find the ability to speak again, "I take it you're the one who got him to not shave?"

"Yup. He's weak." Danny grinned at Andrew's scoff, Randy drifting closer before he was giving in just a little and kissing at Andrew's temple. It was far too tempting. The way Andrew tilted his head into the touch and let his eyes slip close was far too  _tempting_. The man was still in his sleep clothes that were half hanging off of him and he had never looked more  _comfortable_ than he did now.

Indulging in one last kiss to the temple, Randy lingered for a bit longer, lips still pressed against the warm and soft skin before he caught sight of Danny's look. The teen's gaze was trained on the two of them, spark in his eyes as he smirked at seeing Randy was looking at him, "So, what's for breakfast?" There was far too much heat coating those words for it to ever be an innocent question. These two were going to be the death of him, he was certain of it.

::

"Right. Ready for your last training session before classes start back up?" At Randy's question, Danny was grinning widely and eagerly grabbing onto Randy's arm so they could be teleported to Liz. While Vidya grew rooms as needed and had her own training room, Liz's was far more well equipped to handle large amounts of power and damage.

"Definitely ready." They usually had their training sessions once a week before The Incident had happened, and Randy and Andrew had spent the past two weeks near coddling him. Danny didn't mind, of course, but still. "Unless you plan on taking it easy on me again."

"Oh, my sweet little phantom," Randy linked his fingers with Danny's before twirling him around sharply, Danny unable to catch his balance before he was pressed up against a stone wall with Randy's fingers tilting his chin up. "If I didn't take it easy on you, then there'd be nothing of you left."

"O-Oh." That- That should be illegal. While Randy usually talked fast and had a British accent to his words, every time he slowed his words down to that damn  _purr_ and talked low- Soon. One of them was going to break soon, and Danny honestly wasn't sure who it would be at this point. Judging by the wicked smile and nuzzle to his cheek, Randy knew exactly what he was doing, too. Damn French people.

"Come on, petit mec. We have a lot to catch up on when it comes to training." Yeah, like getting to the point where Danny wouldn't be fucking kidnapped the second he wasn't around Randy or Andrew. "First off, convincing you that it wasn't your fault."

"That what wasn't-" Danny didn't even get his entire question out before Randy was cupping his cheek and rubbing his palm against it, Danny closing one eye and scrunching his nose at the sensation for a moment before relaxing. It felt… It felt kind of nice. "Reading my mind is cheating."

"I wasn't reading your mind, just your body language." Randy smiled, thumb brushing under Danny's eye. "If we're not allowed to blame ourselves for what happened, then you can't blame yourself either, alright? Like you said, everything that happened was Walker's fault."

"You know, sometimes I forget you're technically the older one. Then you go and say stuff like that." Wrapping his hand around Randy's wrist, Danny pressed into the touch for a moment before moving back. "Right. Human or ghost, then?"

"Human. I want you to work on your hand-to-hand combat today. You rely on your powers too much- I know, you didn't know how to fight before your got your powers. That's why you're learning now."

"You and Andy always do that." Huffing and puffing and trying not to grin, Danny began tugging off his outer clothes. He couldn't stop his grin from growing when he saw just how closely Randy was watching him, and, okay. He might have slowed down just a  _little_. "Answering my questions and knowing what I'm going to say before  _I_ sometimes know what I'm going to say."

It took a moment for Randy to respond, the man coughing and finally turning to shed his coat and guns. "Comes with the training. Alright, remember, if anything hurts, you call for a stop right away, okay?"

"It's been days. I'm fine." A bit achy in some places, still, but he was no worse than he had been when ghost fighting all the time.

"You had broken bones, Danny. That kind of stuff doesn't just heal in a few days, even for ghosts. I don't want you going past your limits today, okay?"

"Ugh, fine." Caring Riters were his weakness, he had long ago admitted to his. "Help me stretch?"

There was a pause where Randy stared at him before there was a dusting of white across his cheeks and he was huffing and walking over, "I know damn well that you can stretch yourself."

"But you're so much better at moving me how you need to." Alright, Danny deserved the shove. He would take that one with grace. "I honestly could not resist."

"You're worse than Andy sometimes," Randy tsked, gesturing for Danny to sit down before he was helping him through the basic stretches he had taught him near the beginning of their training sessions together. They actually had helped a lot, even if Danny still complained every now and then. "Like I said, let me know if anything starts to hurt, okay?"

"Alright. Um, maybe take it easy on my wrist and ankle today, then, if you can." Relaxing at the smile he was given, Danny supposed it wasn't so bad telling others when he hurt. "Right, so, uh, why do ghosts blush the color of their aura?"

"Speaking of random questions from out of nowhere," Randy laughed, guiding Danny into bending his body near in half, hands wrapped around his toes and legs kept straight. It was a moment or two before Randy pressed down on his back to move him down a bit more. "Good?"

"Right side, but that could just be where I haven't done any of my stretches in a while." As Danny was slowly nudged back up, he stretched himself sideways a little for a moment before nodding. "Good. And c'mon, answer my question, I wanna know."

Letting himself be pulled up, Danny's thoughts drew to an abrupt stop as he felt a hand cup his chin, Randy holding him in place and crooning out his words in a near whisper, "Oh, mon chéri, why on earth would I do that when it's so much more fun to watch you  _beg_."

Once his mind completely crashed and then came back online, Danny realized Randy had taken a few steps away and was now going through the last few stretches. Exhaling shakily, Danny slowly began to copy him, shaking his head. "You are  _really_ bad for my heart."

"Once again, petit mec, something I've heard countless times before." The only consolation was that Randy looked just as flustered. "Tell you what. If you can pin me for five seconds, then I'll answer your question."

"Wha- Five seconds!" The longest Danny had ever managed to pin Randy in a serious session had been  _two seconds_ , and that was with Randy taking it easy on him, he was pretty sure. "Randy!"

"I have to get you motivated somehow," Randy smirked, looking far too smug as he toed his boots off and kicked them over towards his pile. The tumble mats were still set out from last time, Randy testing them for a moment. "Alright, shoes off, and remember what I said."

"That you're a heartless dictator with unreasonable demands?" Danny phased his shoes off mid-stride as he took up his usual spot on the other end of the room.

"Danny."

"I know, I know. The second I feel any pain we call a timeout and I stop. I'm not going to keep fighting when I'm injured." Even if he had in the past, that was in the  _past_. This was just a training session, and he was in a safe environment. He didn't need to push himself like he used to. Maybe if he said it enough times it would finally sink in.

"Thank you." Randy gave him another soft smile before nodding. "Any theme to today's fight, then? Besides your burning need for knowledge on why ghosts blush?"

" _Hey_. It's why ghosts blush  _certain colors_. At least mock me right," Danny turned his head, grinning too widely as he loosened himself up a little more. "Hm, we did bar brawl last time." Danny still didn't know why Randy felt the need to add  _themes_  to their fights, but it certainly kept it interesting and kept Danny focused on just how he was fighting - maybe that was the point, now that he thought about it. "You kissed my boyfriend in front of the whole school even though you knew we were in a steady and happy relationship. The worst part, he kissed you back. Now we're fighting in the cafeteria in front of hundreds of students as I take out my rage on you."

Danny supposed he should be a bit offended by Randy's loud laughter, but it was mostly amusing to see him near clutching his stomach from the force of the laughs. "Petit mec, your mind works in the strangest way."

"You wanna know the ironic part? I'm most upset about the fact I've been harboring secret feelings for you, and I'm really torn up about the fact that part of me thinks I'm cheating on my boyfriend while another part of me is upset that he got to kiss you when I didn't."

"Andy wasn't kidding about your games." Randy cracked his fingers before lowering his shoulders, Danny seeing the clear switch in his entire posture and look. "Alright, cafeteria fight it is. Think you'll be okay without any tables to hide behind?"

"Oh, I think I'll do better than you." Keeping his gaze trained on Randy, Danny took a single step forward before he was jerking to the right as Randy was there in an instant. Human form meant the two weren't allowed to use any of their powers, so Danny knew Randy hadn't used teleportation so much as the fact the man was just that fast.

Keeping his balance in the balls of his feet as he had been taught, Danny ducked a sudden punch and used the momentum to roll forward and stay crouched low to the ground, kicking his leg out to hit at the back of Randy's calf. Danny hated the fact he was so impressed that Randy easily jumped over it before pivoting on his heel and aiming a kick for his stomach. Taking the hit with a wince, Danny kept with the momentum once more and used the energy to swing to the side and dart up, tackling Randy around the middle and pushing him towards the floor.

They had found out that while Danny didn't have the pure strength in his human form as he did when Phantom, he was still quick and light on his feet. Most of what Randy had taught him had centered around rolling with punches and using the force to send his own attacks back. Unfortunately, seeing as Randy had trained him, it was far too easy for the man to twist them as they fell, Danny landing in a way that he was still pinned but nothing was jarred too badly.

Smirking down at him, Randy gave a disappointed tsk. "You can't love him that much if you're not even this upset about it." Wha- Oh.  _Oh_. Randy was playing one of his games. Randy was playing one of Danny's  _games_ \- This was amazing. This was completely incredible and in the whole time they had been doing this Randy had never played along with any of Danny's lengthy and amazing backstories as to why these fights would be happening.

"Don't you  _dare_ say I don't love him!" Danny brought his knee up sharply, managing to get a good hit on Randy's stomach before he was following up the attack by throwing Randy off of him and scrambling to pin him. He didn't even get a chance before Randy was getting a grip on his upper arms, foot planting on his stomach before sending Danny up and  _over_ Randy's head. "You know I'm dating him- That I'm in love with him! Why would you do this?!"

"Please," Randy scoffed, rolling to his feet and running towards Danny the second he was up. Danny was dodging the attack at once, as well as the one that followed. "Stop trying to deny what's right in front of you! We both know how he really feels about you- About  _me_!"

"Shut  _up_!" This was fun- This was  _fun_. The only time Danny ever really managed to cut loose with his fighting was when he had been fighting the ghosts. Ever since Andrew had convinced him to make the truce, there weren't really any fights for him to tax himself on. It wasn't until Randy started the training sessions that he had found a way to throw himself into a fight and have fun with it. "Andy would never hurt me like this!"

There was a split second falter in Randy's movements, Danny using the opportunity to ram into Randy as hard as he could. He got a grunt of pain for his efforts, Randy managing to keep his balance as he pushed Danny down to the side and followed up with a swift kick. "Oh yeah?" Ooh, now  _Randy_ was really getting into the game.  _Yes_. "Then explain to me why he kissed me back!"

Giving a very convincing scream of rage, in his opinion, Danny launched forward, letting instinct guide him more than anything. It was so easy to see how this could be real, when he thought about it. There had been enough fights in the school cafeteria that Danny could imagine the tables hastily pushed out of the way as students rushed to stand, hundreds of eyes looking at them as they fought and exchanged blow after blow. It was so  _easy_ to be someone else.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up,  _shut up_!" Feeling ghostly energy spike within him, Danny snapped his mouth shut and lost concentration enough that he ended up pinned to the ground again. At Randy's worried look, Danny only gave a quick smile before struggling to get out of the hold, "You don't know  _anything_!" That had been close… Danny had felt the stirrings of his ghostly wail near the end- While he was sure that Randy could handle it, Danny would still rather not test it.

"You think I don't see how he looks at me? How he wishes things could be different? Get over yourself, Danny, you're not the only one in love with him!" Finally managing to twist enough to get some traction, Danny toppled Randy over to the side and pinned him down, breathing labored as he stared down at hard eyes and flushed cheeks.

"Yeah? Well he's not the only one in love with  _you_!" It was so easy to picture the training mats being hard tile, the two catching their breath in the sudden silence of the cafeteria, everyone looking at them in stunned shock. "You're always saying how you know everything so how could you not have known how  _I_ felt about  _you_." So easy. So, so easy to get lost.

"Danny…" Randy was now staring up at him with wide eyes, completely still beneath him as his breathing only seemed to speed up. Shifting his hold, Danny near slumped as he sat on Randy's stomach, knees braced on either side as his hands slipped up from Randy's wrists to instead tangle with his fingers.

"How could you be so cruel when I've been wanting to kiss you just as long…" Leaning down a bit more, the two were only a few inches apart, breath shared between them as the moment stretched and lengthened. "Randy…" Closer and closer and he was so  _close_. "It's been five seconds."

Randy blinked up at him with incomprehension, the white glaze over his eyes clearing to show a sharp blue. "You little shit." Danny didn't even catch the words that followed, too busy hiding his laughter against Randy's chest as he shook from the force of it. "I cannot believe you! I thought Andy was joking about those games of yours!"

Slowly calming down, Danny didn't argue as Randy sat up, tangling a hair in the teen's hair and looking to be checking him over for any injuries. Grinning, Danny kissed at Randy's cheek, enjoying the blush far too much. "It's fun to be someone else for a while. Plus it makes things easier, sometimes." There were times where Fenton and Phantom had too many secrets to ever talk freely, but the student lover of a substitute teacher? The enraged teeanger who didn't know his own feelings half the time? There were no secrets there.

"You really are too much like us, sometimes," Randy chuckled, smile soft as he rubbed at Danny's scalp. "Alright, even with your blatant and horrible cheating, I think I promised to answer your question on blushing ghosts. Isn't this a question you should ask Andy, though? He is your ghostly tutor, after all."

"Yeah, but I've been finding out that you know a lot more about ghost stuff than he does sometimes." Letting himself be pulled to his feet, Danny didn't argue as Randy nudged him into their cooldown stretches. While a few of them were stupid, it definitely kept Danny from cramping up later. "Be honest, you're the one who taught him, aren't you?"

"The basics, yeah. I was a ghost for about four years before he became one, remember? I picked up things first and then taught him what I had learned." Getting distracted watching Randy bend himself in half while  _standing_ , Danny shook his head.

"Okay, but what do you mean just the basics? You two know way more than 'basics'."

"Well, the rest he learned from all those books of his. Vidya formed with what the college library had, as well as a few ghost books due to reasons Clockwork still won't properly explain, but a lot of times on my jobs I either find old books or get them as payment and rewards. I skim through and read them first and then I dump them off on Andy."

"So you know all the same stuff he does, then." Danny watched as Randy shrugged before gesturing for them to start the next set of stretches. "So why do you always act like you're not smart?"

"It's more…" Randy wrinkled his nose, dropping the stretch he was doing and sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. Huh. Randy was always pretty sensitive to emotions, so maybe the game had gotten to him a bit more than Danny intended, if he was acting this off. "Listen, petit mec, there's more to ghosts than you know, right now. You know how we used to be human?"

"Well… Yeah? I mean, it's kind of hard to miss." That still made him shiver some days. The thought that somewhere out in the human world were Andrew and Randy's dead bodies. Somewhere out there they had  _gravestones_ that were probably crumbling and worn and never visited. It… It was sad.

"Focus, petit mec." Nodding, Danny frowned as he noticed Randy give a sharp shake of his head. "Right- Right. Okay, ghosts used to be human but we're… Less? More?" Shaking his head again, Randy sighed as he motioned for Danny to keep following the stretches with him. "I told you one night that I of all people know what madness looks like."

"Yeah… I remember." That had been the night when he thought he had been going crazy and hallucinating Spectra. Thank god for Randy's sensitivity to ghostly energies. "Why?"

"With us, with me and Andy and the kind of people we were… Children don't have a concept of empathy. It's something they're taught, and why there are so many stories of children doing horrifying things when they're young. Because they don't know any better."

"Yeah." He definitely had heard some horrifying stories about younger siblings and nieces and nephews. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"So say you have a child who doesn't know about all this yet. Three, four, no older than five, right? You have this young child who doesn't know anything besides the basic motor skills and maybe that crossing the street alone is a bad thing. That's it. You take this kid and you teach them that wrong is right and right is wrong. You teach them that killing is  _good_. What happens when that kid tries to live with other normal people?"

Oh… Oh. Randy only nodded, "Yeah- Yeah." Randy finished his last set of stretches before running a hand through his hair again, pacing across the room and looking… It wasn't feral, like when Danny or Andrew was threatened, but more… Caged. "Yeah, you take these kids and you screw them up and then one or two manage to escape and then what? Only- Only it's worse than that, you know? You take a kid and you raise them to believe killing is good- No. No, it isn't. She tells you that it's not right but if you don't kill then you- The Sect didn't keep useless things."

How… How long had Randy been keeping this all in? How long had he never been able to confide in anyone about all of this? Danny was only understanding every other sentence and he wasn't quite sure what had set this off, but Randy had obviously been suffering for a while. "The Sect doesn't… If you're useless you die and they screwed us up so badly and Sylvia tried so hard to help." Jerking to a stop and burying his hands in his hair, Randy dropped to crouch on the ground, head near buried in his knees. Danny couldn't even move to go over to his side and he felt so  _useless_. "I didn't always- White Fang was an act. You know- You've seen the Priest. You've seen how he acts, and then you've seen how Andy acts, right?" Danny could only nod, Randy laughing as he shook his head.

"Andy doesn't act- He acts like  _me_. The accent, the prim and proper behavior, the way he walks, the way he talks, everything he modeled after how I acted as a teenager because for so long he wasn't… He wasn't Andrew Riter. He was just the Priest, Danny, and that's why it's so hard for him. That's why he has such a hard time sometimes, because before he was Andrew Riter he was just the Priest."

This… Randy really had been alone by himself in all of this, hadn't he? He was like Danny. Trying to keep the broken bones and scars and the nightmares a secret. Trying to bury it because he was fine, he was fine, it was okay. He was the hero, after all, right? Heroes didn't break. Big brothers didn't break. For so long Randy had only been a brother to Andrew and had been the one that could never break and never show fear or pain. Only now… They weren't just brothers anymore.

"Who were you, then?" Danny couldn't understand all of this. He'd never be able to fully understand the Priest and White Fang and the Sanctum, but… His friends had never fully understood Phantom and yet they were still there. They were the pillars that kept him from falling most days, even when they didn't know it. So even if he didn't understand… He could still help. "Back there, who were you?"

"I…" Randy moved to fully sit on the floor and lean against the wall, Danny slowly and carefully moving to sit down beside him. "Randall Nicolas Beaumont. I- I was from an aristocratic French family who didn't like the public image of the Sect of the Crow. They spoke out one too many times, and… I was a warning."

"So… So Andy based himself off of you, right? But you don't…" Act like that. Randy was as far from prim and proper as you could get. So how…

"And there we go back to the beginning," Randy laughed, the sound hollow and empty. It had Danny leaning against him, hand burying in his shirt. "White Fang was an act I used to make it seem like I was one of them. How I act and dress and  _am_ now? That's how White Fang acted. That's who White Fang was. Ghosts aren't human, Danny. I know that's a little obvious, but not- Not everything crosses over when we die."

"Like… Like what? Memories?" Would he forget Andrew and Randy when he died? Would he forget his family?

"No- Not that I've found, at least, but it's more- It's different. For every ghost it's different, but for me it was… Did I ever tell you about how I died?"

"You said you were poisoned by angry college dorm mates," Danny smiled weakly, relaxing a bit when Randy put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. "Seems kind of stupid."

"I knew it was poison." ...Oh. "I…" Randy shook his head, muttering rapidly in French under his breath.

"Hey." Waiting until Randy looked up, Danny gave a smile. "It's okay if you can't tell me that part yet."

Randy was silent for a moment before nodding, taking a breath. "Long story short, I died and woke up here and it was all… It was blurred. I couldn't tell between the lines of who was Randall Beaumont and who was White Fang. I still had my memories and everything, but the way I acted and my first instinct when it came to responding was always White Fang. I said I knew what madness looked like because for over twenty years I've dealt with having two personalities in my head and never being able to tell which one is the right one."

Biting at his lip as silence settled in around them, Danny finally moved to where he was sitting between Randy's legs before reaching a hand up to cup his cheek and rub at the skin. As he had hoped, Randy was relaxing into the touch at once, shaking shoulders dropping and breath leaving him in a rush. "I… I can't say I get it. I don't think I ever will, but I… I know about the separate personality thing. It's like me, with Phantom and Fenton. Fenton's the school loser who's the son of ghost hunters, but Phantom is the town hero. Phantom is the hero, not Fenton. The brave one, the clever one, the stronger one, but not… Not shy and scared Fenton."

Absently watching Randy's reactions, Danny shifted closer, copying the motion Randy had done earlier and rubbing a thumb under the man's eye, "You know, telling Andy all of this might help. He's dealt with it from me. Want me to give you the advice he gave to me?"

"Can't hurt, I suppose." God, Randy sounded  _wrecked_. Shifting closer, Danny rubbed at the man's cheek absently as he gave a smile.

"Alright, give me some slack because this was years ago when we were friends and I can't pull off that level of pompous." Grinning at the laugh, Danny cleared his throat. "'Someone as smart as you and I'm amazed you can't see what's right in front of you.' Then there was some leading up and basically it was, 'It's not your ghost powers that make you a hero, it's your need to do what's right. You may live two lives, but in the end you're still a teenager named Danny. A teenager who wants to do what's right and fight for what you believe in. You're both and neither.'"

"Definitely sounds like something he would say," Randy chuckled, Danny noticing that he was getting more and more calm.

"Doesn't it? So basically, it doesn't matter if you're Randall Nicolas Beaumont, White Fang, or just Randy Riter. All that matters is that you do what you believe in and be the best you that you can be. It's worked out for me so far."

"Good advice." Waiting until Randy was a bit more settled down, Danny still rubbing at his cheek, the teen tilted his head.

"You know, that was a really emotional talk considering all I wanted to know was why ghosts blush the color of their aura." And oh, that was nice. Randy's loud and bright laughter was  _wonderful_  after seeing him so wound up and lost.

"Short answer for now, then. It's because our bodies are generally made up of just ectoplasm, so a lot of our body functions are just what our powers mimic. This can be pretty detailed in some areas as you and Andy have  _thoroughly_ explored-" Right. Okay. Blushing- That. Hm. "-or it can just be where our powers mimic what we did in life. So since there's no blood or pink skin…"

"It mimics the color of your aura," Danny nodded. "See how easy that was? Now, next question, are we going to keep training, or are we going to blow off the rest of it and go make brownies?"

"I shouldn't be encouraging this," Randy sighed heavily, scooping Danny into his arms and standing up. "Alright, come on. Brownies it is." Heh. Beaumont brownies and leaving training early. It was a great day. "Hush, you."

"Love you, too," Danny grinned, delighting in Randy's blush. "You know, you really should talk to Andy."

"I'll think about it."

::

Standing in the doorway of one of the various office rooms of Vidya, Randy chewed on his lip as he watched Andrew work through the last set of papers he had to grade. The ridiculous stubble was still there - which Randy was actually rather grateful for - and Andrew's entire being was calm and steady. It was a few moments before Andrew raised an eyebrow, gaze still on the papers, "Can I help you?"

"Looks like you're the one that needs help, drowning in terrible work done by uncaring teenagers." Randy hesitated a moment longer before walking over and taking a seat beside Andrew on the couch, leaning against him and closing his eyes. "Hey, Andy." He didn't need to see to know Andrew had paused in his writing, curious gaze on him and a flash of concern flickering in his eyes. "Can we talk?"

There was a measured moment between them, words and feelings and ideas flying through the air so quickly Randy wasn't sure what Andrew was actually thinking and what Randy was just imagining. Finally, there was a shuffling of papers, Randy feeling Andrew turn to face him properly. "I think I'd like that."

Smiling, Randy leaned his head on Andrew's shoulder. Nothing bad ever really came from communicating, he supposed. "It's about the Sect…"


	32. Chapter 32

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at [ibelieveinahappilyeverafter](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9064705/chapters/ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com)

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**Chapter Thirty-Two**

::

Arriving at the Clock Citadel, Danny didn't even get to touch down on the ground before his sister was wrapping him up in a tight hug and holding him close. "Jazz, c'mon, you saw me last night and The Incident was ages ago."

"You capitalized that in your head, didn't you?" Staying silent, Danny tried not to laugh as Jazz gave a loud, exhausted sigh and hugged him even closer. "I'm your big sister, I'm supposed to be constantly worried about you. Now, c'mon, what disaster happened this time that you had to come all the way over here to finally visit?"

"I think that's the question I should be asking you." Danny squirmed a little to look up at his sister, attempting to have as judging a look as possible. "Didn't you promise to spend all of Christmas break at home?"

"Hey, you get to spend time with your boyfriends, I get to spend time with mine." Ah, yes. The true reason Danny and Jazz got along so well. Mutual blackmail- Wait.

"Um, Jazz? Unless Andy made a clone of himself when I wasn't looking, it's just the one boyfriend. Singular. Andy. Just one." Wiggling his way free, Danny felt offended at the  _pitying_ look he was given. "What- Don't look at me with pity!"

"Oh, Danny. The pity isn't for you." Wha- What was that supposed to mean? "Oh, that poor thing… I'll have to talk with him soon. Maybe get him in for a session."

"Jazz, please stop trying to give therapy sessions to people. You're not licensed yet."

"Yet."

"If you two are finished fighting in the entryway." Alright, Danny couldn't be blamed for darting over to give Clockwork a hug. Clockwork was like a second father- Aah, he was dating Jazz, don't equate him to father. Older sibling. Mentor. Yes. Clockwork was a good mentor. "I see you're giving Andrew and Randall time to talk?"

"They needed it." Danny stared at Clockwork for a solid five seconds before he suddenly found himself seated on a couch with Jazz beside him and looking just as startled. "Wha- Hey!"

"You were going to try and steal his cloak again, weren't you?" Jazz snickered, sipping at the light blue tea that was in her cup. Danny noticed his own cup held tea that was a shimmering pink. "It's not poison, you know."

"You don't volunteer to be Andy's lab experiment when he's in his alchemist mad scientist mood." To drink, to not drink, to drink… Eh, Clockwork wouldn't give him anything that would hurt him too badly. It tasted sweet, actually. Huh.

"Mhm. Oh! I almost forgot, but your glasses are ready to pick up!" Pausing, Danny gave Jazz a very odd look. "Did I not tell you that I ordered you new ones as soon as I found out your old ones were broken? Silly me."

"Fine by me. Sooner I get mine, sooner I can give Randy's back. Yes, I was as confused and startled as you to find out he wears glasses."

"I'm really not that startled," Jazz said, only lifting her teacup out of the way as Danny dramatically collapsed across her lap. "A lot of people wear glasses, you know."

"But it's  _Randy_! Randy should so not be the type to wear glasses!" Not only was it such a strange thought for someone who dressed like he did to wear glasses, but it gave Danny very  _interesting_ thoughts. Thoughts he should probably not voice to his big sister. "It's weird."

"Mm." Huffing and draining his tea, Danny set the cup down gently before flying over to Clockwork as dramatically as he could manage.

"Clockwork, Jazz is being mean to me!"

"I'm sure she is." Rude. Throwing himself over Clockwork's shoulders, Danny frowned at seeing Clockwork didn't even  _move_. If anything, he looked amused. "Feeling better?" Thinking on the question seriously, Danny finally gave a slow nod.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Randy even cleared me fighting ready again." Although he honestly wasn't looking forward to the nightmares he would be having once things settled down, though. "Also, I might need you to replay something on the time mirrors."

"Andrew getting his goatee shaved, I take it?" Behind them, Danny heard Jazz choke on her tea. "That's a very improper use of time powers."

"So is using the time mirrors to help me with my history homework." Taking Clockwork's silence as a win, Danny settled down a bit more, tail absently swishing through the air. It was so nice to curl around someone in his ghost form, especially people like Clockwork, Andrew, and Randy. Their ecto-signatures were always so warm and comforting. "It can wait, though, because I did have something serious to ask you."

"Oh? And what's that?" Clockwork gave him a genuinely curious glance, Danny frowning as he let a hand tangle in Clockwork's cloak.

"It's about something Walker said to me." The room was silent, Danny watching a slew of images that appeared and disappeared on the time mirrors in the blink of an eye. "Clockwork, do you know what Section 13 is?"

"Section 13?" Oh, no. Anything ghost related that caused Clockwork to look genuinely baffled never ended well. "I can't say that I know much beyond the fact they're affiliated with those  _charming_ ghost hunters that have been infecting your town."

"Apparently Walker was a part of it and they were the ones that founded the Guys-in-White." Something about the name, though, set Danny on edge. It didn't feel… It felt wrong. "It sounded familiar."

"It's possible your parents might know of it," Clockwork admitted, flicking his hand and teleporting a cookie over before offering it to Danny. "There are times where my vision does not allow me to see ghost hunters due to the effects of their equipment."

"That would actually make sense," Jazz pointed out, her tea now a soft, warm green. Danny wasn't even willing to question it. "You may be able to see different points of time, but your powers are still ectoplasmic in nature. If Mom and Dad know how to deflect ghosts, then no doubt others do by now. It could be as simple as them having blood blossoms around their buildings!"

"Ugh, blood blossoms." Danny bit into his cookie with a fierce scowl, suppressing the shiver that wracked his body. If Andrew and Randy hadn't somehow managed to find him then Danny would have been trapped down in that pit for ages. "Can you look into it, Jazz, if you get time? Tucker would probably be all too happy to help."

"I suppose," Jazz sighed, smile tugging at her lips. "You would just be helpless without me." Ha! She didn't even know the half of it.

"Completely and utterly useless," Danny agreed, flying back over to the couch and sitting down by her. "Hey, how's Vlad doing? He hasn't gone supervillain crazy again, right?"

"It was close there, for a while. He really cares about you, you know. I think it helped that you two finally sorted everything out." 'Sorted everything out'. Those were some words for it. It had been more like forty-eight hours of fighting, two breakdowns, and a screaming match before Danny managed to get through Vlad's self-loathing and villain persona. "It seems as if, ah, well… Vlad was really,  _really_ worried about you and when Randy and Andrew told him the news…"

"What? What happened? Is he alright?" Andrew and Randy hadn't mentioned anything about Vlad being hurt - damn, they really had come far if Danny was honestly worried about the Fruitloop these days.

"He might have transformed in front of Mom and Dad after they told us it was Walker." Ah… Ah. That… Right. "Yeah, some truths came to light after that. Since you told them your secret, it didn't take much to piece together Vlad's - and what happened to him. Dad took it pretty hard when he realized what had actually happened in that lab accident."

"Oh." Ironically enough, that was what Vlad had always wanted. For his 'best friend' to realize what he had done to him. Of course it ended up actually being sort of Danny's fault for Jack finding out. "How are they doing?"

"Well, they didn't really get time to talk about it all until we heard you were okay. Once they did, it was surprisingly Vlad who comforted Dad and told him none of it was his fault." ...Huh. "Mom's been complaining that they're now even closer than they were in college. They've been watching football games together - face paint and jerseys included."

"Ah- No. Stop. Okay. I don't need to- No." It was weird enough with Danny being friendly with Vlad, he didn't need to think about his parents being friendly with him too. "He's happy though, right? Vlad?"

"Yeah, I think he's finally happy. Certainly took a while to get there, though." She was telling him. The last few years with Vlad had only made things worse and worse and finally… Well, one of them had been bound to break under all that pressure. Danny just hadn't expected it to be Vlad.

"He deserves it, you know. Being happy." It was hell getting there, but Danny really did believe in Vlad deserving that happiness. "I keep thinking about it and… He was a bit like me- I could have been him." Dan had taught him that lesson well enough. "We both got these crazy powers we knew nothing about, but… I had you, and Sam and Tucker and Mom and Dad and then Andy and Randy and… I had friends and family. Vlad's been alone for so long." Danny wouldn't be surprised if Spectra had got her claws in him at one point, either. Not with how much she knew about him.

"He's just been alone with this skewered perception and trying to find someone to blame for all his problems. That family reunion just kind of kickstarted it all to supervillain proportions." It was after Danielle had been created that Danny realized just how detached from reality Vlad was starting to get - and how lonely. "I mean, when you look back on it, it makes sense."

That final fight when he was trying to stabilize Dani proved that there was some good in Vlad. He barely even tried to fight back and for all his threats about melting Dani, Danny had found scattered vials around of what looked like attempts that might help her. That was when Danny realized there was still good in Vlad, buried deep as it was.

"Sorry, got lost in my thoughts." Danny shook his head, smiling up at Jazz. "I'm glad, though, that Vlad and Dad made up. Vlad really needed him again."

Jazz looked proud of him for some reason, Danny rolling his eyes as he was pulled in for yet another hug. "I'm so proud of you, Danny. You're learning and growing and maturing-"

"Oh! Hey, I just remembered that Sam took pictures of the party from last night. We should go get some of those." While Jazz sighed and dropped her head, Danny  _swore_ he heard laughter coming from Clockwork's direction. "What? I need to find blackmail on Randy!"

"Randall is hardly the type to leave evidence behind," Clockwork cautioned, Danny happily taking the cookie that was floating in front of him. "Although you should try getting his hair wet."

"What- What? Why? What's getting his hair wet going to do besides make him glare at me?" Because, really. Randy was so defensive and uptight about the product he used in his hair.

"Call it a late Christmas present." Mhm. Well, Danny wasn't in the habit of ignoring Clockwork's advice. Usually. "Perhaps try asking Danielle next time you see her about Section 13. She's been curious about ghost hunting companies lately."

"Oh, yeah! Where is she right now, anyway? Italy?" Last time Danny had checked in with her she had been near it, at least. "We should get her and Vlad to talk things out." That would be a bit hard, though…

"Focus on one impossible task at a time, little brother," Jazz laughed, setting her empty cup down and standing up. "Hey, why don't we go pick up your glasses now? We can even meet up with Sam and Tucker. Make a bit of a day out of it."

"That…" Spending the day in the human world and around his friends and pretending everything was normal… "That sounds pretty great, actually."


	33. Chapter 33

Bonjour, mes chers!

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at[ibelieveinahappilyeverafter](http://ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20substitute)

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**Chapter Thirty Three**

::

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that GW and Randy haven't seen your new glasses yet." Smiling at Sam, Danny pushed his new glasses up, wondering how wide his grin was. "You're way too happy right now."

"Sam." Danny felt his grin grow even wider. "Sam. These glasses have  _stars_ on them." The new frames were wider than the last ones, but they were shaded in tones of blue and orange and had a splattering of white dots to represent a nebula being painted across them. They were utterly gorgeous and perfect in every way and his sister was the best sister to ever exist.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm just excited that we finally get to see GW's infamous stubble." Tucker chuckled a bit, grin nothing good as he held his phone close at hand. "I'm going to get so many pictures of this."

"You'll have to, since  _someone_ didn't share." Sam threw a glare to Danny who only gave another brilliant smile. "What do you bet another fan club starts up before third period?"

"Please, there's no way- Another?" There was a fan club for Andrew in Casper High? And no one had thought to tell  _Danny_ about this! "I feel offended I was never even offered an invitation."

"I think it's because they're jealous you're the one he's choosing to have an affair with." Well, when they put it like, it sounded a bit skeevy. "Maybe you should tone it back on the affection during school."

"Yeah… I guess I probably should, huh?" Danny didn't even pause as he spotted a familiar purple coat rounding the corner, Danny hurrying to follow after Andrew at once. "Then again, where's the fun in that? Morning, Mr. Riter!"

"Good morning, Danny. Shouldn't you be heading to your homeroom?" There was a stumble on the last word as Andrew turned to look at him, Danny grinning as he pushed his glasses up. "New glasses?"

"Late Christmas present from my sister." Walking closer, Danny didn't even try to stop himself from brushing up against Andrew. "I'm really looking forward to Creative Writing today, sir. I think it's your classes that I missed the most over break."

"You're being far less subtle these days," Andrew muttered under his breath, his look nothing but fond as he looked at Danny and raised his voice again. "I'm glad to hear that. I think you and the others will like what I have planned for the semester."

"I'm sure I'd like anything you gave me, sir." There was a barely choked laugh that sounded hysterical that came from one of his friends, a few other students having similar expressions and reactions as they quickly fled the hallway they were in. Biting back his own laugh, Danny leaned closer for only a moment or two, brushing up against Andrew as much as he could get away with. "And as for subtle… Where's the fun in that,  _sir_?"

Danny's chin was grabbed in a second, Andrew only a breath apart as he laughed himself, voice low and  _rough_. "Don't play games you aren't prepared to win, Mr. Fenton." With that, Danny was let go and Andrew was calmly walking towards his classroom, Danny corralled and led away by Sam and Tucker. 'Collapsing' into Tucker's arms, Danny sighed dramatically.

"I love that man so much." Oh, hm. He hoped too many people hadn't been around for that scene. It was probably fine. Maybe. "Tucker, stop laughing, you're ruining my dramatic swooning moment-" Danny was dropped to the floor, but, really. It was worth it.

One Riter sufficiently played with, Danny didn't even last all the way through first period before he was taking a picture of himself and his new glasses and sending it to Randy with a winking emoticon. The response was near immediate and completely unsurprising. ' _!_ ' ' _Is this why I've been getting non-stop texts from Andy complaining about you?_ ' ' _If so, then good work!_ '

' _I was giving him a late Christmas present is how I like to think of it._ ' ' _What are you up to, then?_ ' ' _Randy I'm bored distract me._ ' ' _Randy_ ' ' _Randy_ ' ' _Randy_ ' ' _Randy_ '

' _What?_ '

' _I'm bored_ ' Danny could almost imagine Randy's annoyed expression that held nothing but warmth and fondness. He really should work on spending more time with Randy. It seemed he was always busy with school. ' _Any interesting jobs?_ '

In response, Danny received over half a dozen pictures of what looked to be a new biome. Each picture had his grin growing wider and wider, the need for adventure and freedom stirring under his skin and making his heart race. His hand was already halfway in the air before he realized he was still in school and he hadn't even made it through lunch first. ' _Tempted?_ '

' _You're a cruel person Randy._ ' Right, distraction. Danny needed a distraction before he tried to cut class so he could explore a new place of a new world that was still so unexplored and no human really  _knew_ about and- Focus. ' _Why do you two do the cheek thing?_ '

It took a moment, but eventually a response was sent back. ' _?_ ' All things considered, Danny really couldn't fault him for such a response. ' _Cheek thing?_ '

' _Yeah the cheek thing!_ ' ' _You know I'll be having a bad day and one of you will just kind of cup my cheek and rub at it with your palm._ ' ' _That cheek thing._ '

' _Oh!_ ' ' _It's something Sylvia used to do for us._ ' Sylvia- Oh, their mother. It seemed the more Danny heard about her, the more amazing she seemed. This, though. This was throwing him for a loop. ' _It always seemed to calm us down after a while and I guess we both picked it up. I used to always use it on Andrew to calm him down or comfort him, as well._ '

' _See, that makes more sense._ ' ' _It's weird._ ' ' _A nice weird._ ' At first it felt like the two were just treating him like a child, but after a while, it had started to feel warm and comforting. Almost as if they were supporting him even when there wasn't much they could do. ' _I like it._ '

' _Thought you might._ ' ' _Oh, what's this?_ ' ' _It seems I've discovered a mysterious cavern that's lit up by glowing blue moss and leads to what seems like a great adventure._ ' As if to rub it in, Randy sent him another picture of the sight, Danny biting at his cheek because that looked  _so cool_. ' _Shame there's no one here to explore this with me._ '

' _Ra n d y._ ' ' _I am trying to GRADUATE._ ' Something he couldn't do if he kept skipping classes. It was miracle enough he had finally gotten himself back on track after all the ghosts had caused so many problems with his attendance. He couldn't afford to risk things now.

' _You're not even allowed to take a sick day?_ ' ' _Ooh, I hear animal noises. What new creature do you think it is today?_ '

"Mr. Lancer, I don't feel so good… I think I need to go the nurse." Lancer stared at him before giving a nod, and oh, right. Lancer knew he was Phantom. "It's very important."

"Alright. Try not to take too long." As soon as the hall pass was written, Danny was doing his best to suppress a grin. If Lancer thought there was a ghost attacking, well, Danny wasn't going to shatter that illusion any time soon.

' _Danny?_ ' ' _Danny I'm joking._ ' ' _Don't you dare skip class_.'

' _Incoming I'll be through the portal in five minutes._ '

' _Oh my god._ '

Ghost powers already sparking under his skin and taking over, Danny barely even had to think about transforming before he was in the air and flying as fast as he could to Fenton Works. True to his word, it was barely five minutes before he was speeding through the portal, warm and familiar arms catching him and twirling him to get rid of all his momentum. "Andy is going to kill me."

"Only if he finds out." Danny squirmed in the hold and cuddled up to Randy, grin wide and beaming as he nuzzled against the man shamelessly. If neither of them were going to break first, then dammit, Danny didn't have any shame left. "Take me on an adventure."

"You terrible child." Randy held him close and kissed at his cheek anyways, grin as wide as his own. "You have French third period, you know."

"Better make it worth my while, then."

"Oh, I'll be sure to."

::

Danny managed to slide into the room just as the bell rang, near losing his balance before he bumped lightly into Andrew's desk, the man himself looking unamused. "Didn't we have a lesson before break about you being late for class?"

"Technically, sir, I'm not late." Ooh, but Danny wouldn't mind another lesson if Andrew thought he needed one. Some of this thoughts must have shown on his face since Andrew looked to be fighting against a blush before waving him off.

"Take your seat." Spoilsport. "Now, before any of you ask, remembering my warnings about prying too much into a teacher's personal life."

That stopped no one from raising their hand, Paulina the first to speak, "You shaved."

"A remarkable job of deductive reasoning, Ms. Sanchez, yes, I shaved. I lost a bet with my brother that involved alcohol and poor decisions. Let that alone be a lesson to all of you." Having Andrew as a teacher was a delight, truly. Maybe it was because Andrew actually had a sense of humor. "Speaking of lessons, let's proceed to today's, shall we? Welcome back from your holidays, as well."

"Holy shit." Tucker's quiet whisper caught Danny's attention, the teen staring at Andrew with wide eyes. "I mean, I didn't get a good look this morning in the hall, but I half thought you and Sam were just messing with me."

"Nope." Admiring his mate for a few long seconds, Danny flashed Tucker a grin. "You don't mess with French people when it comes to drinking bets. You  _especially_ don't mess with Randy when it comes to drinking bets."

"Yeah, I think I learned that the hard way," Tucker groaned, dramatically collapsing over his desk as if he was still hungover. Although, if anyone could manage something like that, it would be Tucker. "I can't believe Jazz didn't stop us."

"She was a bit busy with Clockwork that night." Yeah, and, okay, Danny was still trying not to think too much on that some days. They seemed happy, though. That was nice. "What did we do for homework in this class, anyways?"

"I don't think you really need to worry about your homework in  _French_." Sitting back up, Tucker gave Danny a  _look_. "You two jabber and flirt in the language all the time."

"I don't  _flirt_  with him in French-"

"You call him my angel."

"It's a term of deep endearment and affection and you didn't even let me finish. I don't flirt with him in French  _during_ class. That'd be horribly unethical of me." Sensitive hearing picked up the faintest sound of a laugh coming from Andrew, Danny sticking his tongue out when the other looked his way. Ghost hearing went both ways, he supposed.

"Just like you sleeping with the teacher- Hey! No kicking!" Tucker clung to his chair which Danny had gently  _nudged_. If he had really kicked it, Tucker would be on the floor, preferably with an aching head. "You're the one who has that creepy kink-"

"It's not a  _kink_." Right, new subject. Right now. This second. "Did you seriously crash on Sam's  _floor_ after the party? If her parents found you, they would have thrown you out on the street."

"They were out of the country, I was fine. It was Sam's vicious poking and teasing I had to endure the next morning that really got to me. Really, it was just- Oh, hey, let me see your homework. I need to copy the answers."

Torn between sighing and laughing, Danny instead just shook his head, "You do know he can hear every word we're saying right now, right?"

"So I  _shouldn't_ talk about how when you were seven you had the habit of running around naked-" This time, Tucker had to scramble and cling to his desk in order to not hit the floor. It was too late, though. The look on Andrew's face showed he had heard every word and would be teasing him about it later in great detail.

"Homework passed up and notebooks out. Today we're going through a review with a quiz at the end of the month on the first ten chapters- Yes, yes, I'm a horrible evil ghost. Unluckily for you, my boyfriend is the one who fights the evil ghosts, so you're rather stuck with me."

There was scattered laughter across the room at the words, Danny giving a soft smile as he pulled out his own notebook. Andrew was so… He  _thrived_ in a teaching environment. He may have complained all the time, but he always looked so peaceful and happy when teaching his students.

It… Danny was sure he'd hate it as much as Andrew when the substitute job was over. This was Andrew's  _dream_. A normal and happy life with a scheduled routine and no threat of death or attack. It seemed such a shame to take that away from him, although this time there wasn't much Danny could do about it.

Mrs. Flores, the French teacher, would be back before the year was out - around April or so, if Danny wasn't wrong. And then in homeroom, Lancer had mentioned about the school finally finding a permanent teacher for Creative Writing. Andrew's time at Casper High was drawing to an end and Danny hated it more than he would have thought.

Instead of paying attention to the lesson, Danny mostly found himself observing Andrew, watching him teach and get wrapped up in the lesson. He had seen Andrew passionate when talking about a new book he was writing, but this was more… It was more quiet and calm than the wild energy he would get when starting a new novel. It was nice.

Eyes fluttering shut, Danny took a deep breath as he let himself relax. With Andrew teaching at the school, he was much less stressed and tense. While ghost attacks still occasionally happened - even with the truce - there was something nice about having his mate close by and safe. As if nothing bad could happen if Danny could just keep an eye on him. It also helped that he was able to spend so much more time with Randy, lately, and keep him just as close.

When he felt a hand run through his hair and give a light tug, it took a moment to remember he was at school and not Vidya. Opening his eyes, he saw Andrew was smiling down at him with a funny little expression, "So I'm  _that_ boring, then."

"Yes. Completely. Your voice bores me and I want nothing more to do with you," Danny grinned, noting that the class had been dismissed. Since the bell hadn't startled him awake, he supposed Andrew had done another early dismissal. "How long was I out?"

"Not long." The hand carded through his hair again, Danny feeling more than hearing the purr he gave. "Adorable."

"Shush. You're setting a very bad example, you know, letting your students leave so early all the time." Standing up, Danny leaned up on the tips of his toes to snatch a kiss. "Could give your students bad ideas."

"As if you needed any encouragement," Andrew 'scolded', giving Danny a quick kiss anyways. "Anything on your mind besides your little adventure with Randy that ended with me getting over a hundred texts."

"Just thinking about you." It was coming to an end, this feeling of safety and warmth. "I was thinking a little bit about Randy, yeah, but mostly I was thinking about your expression last night when-" Danny grinned as hands covered his mouth, taking far too much pride in Andrew's blush.

"You're a demon sent from hell to punish me, aren't you?" Tugging the hands away, Danny only answered in way of kissing Andrew's cheek. "I thought as much. Shoo, you have other teachers besides me, you know."

"Yeah, but you're my favorite, Mr. Riter." Danny really couldn't stop his laughter as he was all but shoved out of the classroom, Andrew muttering and swearing under his breath in French. "See you at lunch!" All of this was definitely coming to an end soon, but, well… Danny could at least enjoy it for as long as he could.


	34. Chapter 34

Bonjour, mes chers! I've had quite a writing spree when it comes to the Substitute so I've decided to upload a chapter a few days early for you all! I also wanted to let you know that Chapter 3 was briefly edited - Danny now knows that Andrew has died, but he wasn't the one that caused it and he doesn't know specifics.

As of this point on I also will not be marking when smut scenes start or stop unless you want me to as it bothers me where it disrupts the story flow so much. I will be letting you know if a chapter CONTAINS smut, blood, or gore, however.

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well atibelieveinahappilyeverafter

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**Chapter Thirty Four**

::

"Raaandy!" Floating through Liz and tiredly dragging his backpack along on the ground, Danny whined as he heard no answer. He didn't even have the energy to properly change into Phantom he was so tired and now Randy was ignoring him? No way was he letting that continue. "Randy, c'mon, I need sympathy hugs!" Their Ghost Zone adventure had only been yesterday and already Danny felt as if he hadn't seen Randy in, well, in for forever.

A slowly swinging door had him pausing, Danny narrowing his eyes as he saw no one was around. It would have been a terrifying horror movie moment if Danny wasn't already half dead and a ghost. "Okay. Door open for yes, door closed for no. Are you Liz?" The door swung completely open, Danny beaming as he flew over. "That's so clever! I can't hear you but you can- Liz! That's brilliant!" The door swung open and closed quickly, showing the lair's own excitement. "Okay, okay, is Randy here?" Yes. "Hm, and he's not hearing me… Oh! He's asleep, isn't he?" Another yes, Danny grinning. This was  _fun_.

"Right, just gotta find his bedroom, then." Last time Danny was here, Randy had teleported them directly into the bedroom, so Danny was a bit lost on where to go… "Mind leading the way?" Further up the hallway, there was the sound of another door opening and closing. "We're gonna get along great, Liz."

Following the trail of doors and occasionally moving carpets that he might or might not have taken a ride on, Danny finally found Randy's den of a bedroom. As before, dozens of blankets were piled up around the bed and along the edges, a cozy looking nest made in the middle where Randy was calmly dozing. Danny was honestly a bit surprised he was still asleep. It wasn't often he got to see Randy sleep so peacefully - or sleep at all, for that matter.

"You awake, Randy?" Keeping his voice just below that of a whisper, Danny flew over and let his tail form back into his legs, carefully sitting down on the edge of the nest. Randy, on his part, gave a quiet hum, one eye just barely slitting open. "I knew it. I can never catch you honestly asleep. You just don't ever fully sleep, do you?"

Watching as Randy started to stir and try to wake up more, Danny frowned and shifted so he was falling into the indent in the middle, lightly bumping into Randy's side. There was a moment where both paused before Danny heard a soft laugh, arms wrapping around him tightly. "I knew it. You're more soft and fuzzy than Andrew."

Twisting a bit in the hold, Danny curled up to Randy, relaxing more and more. For as much as Danny mocked Randy about his den, it was actually perfect for hiding away in. Lots of blankets, near no lighting, and a peaceful quiet that was hard to come by. It was perfect. "Hey, hey, Randy, guess what? Liz found a way to sort of speak to me today." Well, peaceful quiet wasn't really  _needed_  at the moment, right? "She opened and closed doors to answer yes and no questions and also led me all the way to you by doing the same thing. There might have been a flying carpet involved and I swear no matter what she tells you the lamp was just an  _accident_ I swear it wasn't like I had much control at the time-"

"You know, when Andy said you could find trouble anywhere, I almost didn't believe him." Scrunching his face up as he felt Randy rub against the top of his head, Danny relaxed as fingers lightly grazed over his spine. It didn't help that his shirt had rode up at some point in all his squirming and thus it was Randy's fingers touching his  _bare_ skin. "Flying carpets?"

"It was very scientific." Danny fought against the purr that he wanted to let out, tamping down on the feeling as much as he could. How did ghosts even purr, anyways? They were ghosts, not cats. It didn't make any sense. "Why do ghosts purr?"

"Again with those questions of yours." Randy wound his arms around Danny tightly before he was flipping over to lay on his back, Danny letting out a noise close to a squawk as he found himself sprawled out across Randy's chest. "Didn't we agree to have you ask Andy these things from now on?"

"I remember no such agreement." Trying to push himself up, Danny quickly settled for instead pushing his back into Randy's touch as the man rubbed at his spine again. That felt  _so nice_. "Tell me."

"So  _needy_." Randy pressed down harder, Danny trying to keep himself from blushing as he heard his own loud purring. "It's not really purring - at least, not by normal standards. Notice how it never comes from your throat?" Giving a reluctant nod, Danny shuddered as the hand moved to rub circles along his lower back. "That's because the noise is coming from the core."

Okay. Right. Focus. Danny needed to focus on something besides Randy right now. "The core? That doesn't make sense. I'm not in my ghost form, either."

"It's actually pretty common, and you still have a core even if you're human right now. See, ghosts make a lot of noises through our cores. Ghost children, especially. The most common one is 'purring,' which is where the core is vibrating on a certain frequency that typically only ghosts and humans attuned to ectoplasmic things in nature can hear. It usually shows contentment, but it can also be used to show that the ghost needs comfort when physically or emotionally hurt."

"Use smaller words." Danny was quickly becoming a purring pile of mush, purrs hitching when Randy shifted to wind an arm around him, one hand rubbing along his lower back and another moving to grasp his hand. "Way smaller."

"Alright, then." He felt the rumble of laughter more than heard it, Danny only barely realizing that Randy was moving their linked hands under Danny's shirt before pressing against his chest. "Feel that vibration?" Certainly feeling something. "It's your entire ghost self letting others know that you're happy." There was another low chuckle, Danny shuddering at the noise as he felt it paired with a soft brush of lips to his cheek. "Are you happy, mon douce?" Mon… My sweet?

"You're  _so_ not good for my heart." It was getting harder. Damn all three of them for being so good at avoiding conversations that should have happened a  _long_ time ago. Feeling the fingers press harder, Danny quickly turned to press his face against Randy's neck, muffling himself from making any embarrassing noises.

Interestingly enough, it was  _Randy_ who made the embarrassing noise. A bitten off sound that had been very close to something rather indecent. Absently realizing both of them had frozen, Danny bit his lip before shifting and slowly nuzzling against Randy's neck again. " _Danny_." It was a warning more than anything, Randy tensed up underneath him as his hands tightened into fists around Danny's shirt.

"You know, I remember you had a similar reaction the last time I touched your neck like this." Trying not to think about his own shaking voice because this moment could change  _everything_ , Danny shifted to gently brush his lips against the straining cords of muscle. "Relax."

"I think this is where I tell you that you're doing the  _opposite_ of relaxing me." At the shaking below him, Danny pushed himself up, legs settling on either side of Randy's waist. Hands braced against the older's shoulders, Danny looked down to see Randy's entire face was flushed with shades of white, his eyes wide and uncertain.

"Hey." So much was on the verge of changing, but… "Hey, it's okay." That didn't have to be a bad thing. "No matter what happens, it can only be for the better, right?" As the look refused to fade, Danny huffed and leaned down to kiss at Randy's neck again, pressing harder than he had before. " _Randy_."

Whatever meaning Randy had heard, the man seemed to slump and release almost all tension, a quiet groan leaving as his head tilted to the side to reveal more of his neck. Stilling his own shaking hands, Danny bit down on a noise of his own as Randy shifted under him. This all should have felt like it was going way too fast, but if they were being honest, they had been building up to this for a while now.

Mouthing higher up the neck, Danny kissed at the skin there before hesitantly giving it a small lick. Randy's full body shudder had him clutching at the man's shoulders even more tightly, Danny repeating the action and this time grazing across the skin with his teeth. There was a loud, clear  _moan_ from Randy, Danny now the one shaking as he felt his breath pick up. So close. The two were so close and it would only take one more small-

"Well, I walked in on something rather interesting." Yelping as Randy shot up, Danny tumbled into a heap over Randy's legs, blinking as he looked up to see Andrew leaning against the doorway. "Oh, please. Don't stop on my account."

There was a long moment where Randy looked as unsure as Danny, neither able to think on what to say before Danny cleared his throat, "I, ah… I was helping him relax?"

"At great personal cost, I would assume." Calmly walking over, Andrew flew into the air just enough to settle himself down beside the two in the center of the bed. "You know, mon cher, I thought you were kidding when you said his room was a den."

"Oh my god." Randy had his face buried in his hands, Danny biting his lip to hold in a laugh this time as he gently played with the older's hair. "Oh my god, you two are going to be the death of me."

"I mean, if we're being technical-" The hand covering his mouth was just rude and Danny felt no hesitation in licking at it. Unfortunately, that seemed to do nothing. Andrew sneaking a kiss to Randy's neck had the man letting go real quick, though. "Ooh, now, see, that gives me some questions. Like, how long have you been wanting  _Andrew_ to-"

Danny was silenced with a pillow almost immediately, Randy pinning him down and looking more amused than mortified like Danny would have thought. "One of these days, I'm going to find a way to shut you up."

"When you do, make sure you tell me. I'm still trying to figure it out." Andrew sighed, a bit too dramatically, before moving to lean against Randy's side and shamelessly cuddle up to him.

"You two are  _terrible_." And, sure, okay. So things hadn't changed, but that was fine- That was  _great_. This slow build up, the feelings growing every day, and the tension at each new encounter… This is what made it  _fun_. This was what made it… This made it real. For as painful and torturous as it could be sometimes, Danny wouldn't change it for the world.

Although he might have changed the time on just when Andrew had shown up. Well… There was always next time.

::

"Rather late to be getting a snack, don't you think, grand frère?" Andrew grinned from where he sat on the counter, pleased with having genuinely startled Randy for once.

"You calling me that is really not helping at the moment." Grinning at the sour look, Andrew gave a pleased hum at the fingers under his chin and the kiss to his forehead. "You two have no sense of decency or propriety."

"Now, where's the fun in that?" Leaning into the hand that slipped up to hold his cheek, Andrew sighed softly and let his eyes flutter shut. "You're acting much more like yourself."

"Yes, well… Who knew talking emotions out would actually ever help." This time the lips brushed against his cheek, Andrew reaching up to loosely clasp Randy's wrist. "Is this the part where you stop me?"

"I think this is the part where I beg for you to not stop." Pouting as he felt Randy move away, Andrew opened his eyes to watch him start on a pot of tea. "You know caffeine doesn't do much for ghosts." Not unless he drank three pots within the hour, which, actually, was rather likely.

"Mm. Allow me my illusions for now, I suppose." Still too soon, then. That was fine. Andrew could be patient. "Your thoughts are clear on your face."

"When have I ever made you believe that I wished to hide them?" Leaning back on his hands, Andrew gave a soft sigh as Randy moved to stand between his legs, arms winding around his waist as Randy's head came to rest upon his shoulder. "You're not hiding."

"Don't need to." Randy relaxed against him, Andrew giving in the urge to play with his hair. "Dare we go with the cliche of relationship talks in the middle of the night?" Laughing, Andrew kissed at the top of Randy's head, pleased with the thread of a purr that weaved it's way into the quiet hum. "I couldn't agree more."

"You're ridiculous." As the water boiled, Andrew kept gently playing with Randy's hair, thoughts drifting. "Randy… Danny's getting worse."

"I think I've seen him use his powers in his human form more than I have in ghost form, at this point." That was what was worrying him. Danny had always stressed upon the difference between 'Fenton and Phantom'. The fact there were no longer any clear boundaries… "Are his sides finally blending together?"

"That never happened with Plasmius." There had always been that clear distinction between ghost and human, even when the liens begin to blur. Now, though, something was changing and Andrew wasn't sure if it was for the better. "I don't like it. It's as if- As if-"

"He doesn't want to be human anymore." Silence filled the kitchen before it was broken by the shrill whistling of the tea kettle, Randy sighing and moving to grab it. "We need to talk to Clockwork and Plasmius about this."

"What if we're worrying over nothing? Danny was hit with far more concentrated radiation than Plasmius was, after all. Maybe this is normal for his situation." His powers had grown in leaps and bounds since Andrew had met him, after all. This could be normal.

"What if it isn't, though? There's only three half ghosts in all of existence and each one of them came about through different means." Taking the tea cup offered to him, Andrew stared at it with a frown. "One came about through cloning, another through brief exposure of ectoplasmic radiation, and the last was exposed to the whole damn world and near torn to shreds by the energy."

"Danielle's stable." Andrew's voice sounded weak even to himself. "He's already died once. What if…" If he died again, would he even be able to come back?

"Hey." Oh. He was shaking. When had that happened? "Hey, hey, hey, ssh, it's okay, mon petit, it's okay. We're not going to lose him, okay? We're going to find out what's wrong - if anything - and we'll fix it. When have we ever let the impossible stop us before, after all?"

"Right… Right." Taking a deep breath, Andrew moved to collapse against Randy's chest, teacup set aside. "I'm still worried." How long could Danny keep going like this?

"You have every right to be. How about for now, though, you let me do a bit of the worrying for you. After all, it's four in the morning and you have school in a few hours." Ugh. One of the downsides of being a teacher was getting up so damn early. "Hey, it's your chosen career."

"And you're the one who put my resume in after I told you not to." Huffing, Andrew gave a sharp grin as he leaned up, kissing at the corner of Randy's lips. "I know a few ways you could earn forgiveness, though…"

"Oh, really?" Andrew found himself roughly shoved backwards, back straining uncomfortably as his wrists were pinned to the wall behind him. Randy stood between his legs and kept him even further pinned, the older not even a hair's a breadth apart as he chuckled softly. "Don't make promises you can't keep, dear one."

"You first." The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, Andrew feelings lips just barely touch his before he was gently let go, Randy calmly slipping away and grabbing his tea cup. "What's that Danny says about you not being good for his heart?"

"As if you two are good for mine," Randy scoffed, Andrew satisfied to see a blush starting to stain his cheeks. "Your thoughts are, once more, transparent."

"It seems I need to be with you two and your cluelessness."

"Good night, Andrew.

"Bonne nuit, grand frère."

The loud and unamused groan was beautiful, truly. Picking his own tea cup back up, Andrew stared into the warm brown color before letting a heavier sigh slip out. Their confusing relationship set aside for the moment, Andrew truly was worried about Danny. Whereas before he had only seen his ghost powers slip through in the most extreme circumstances, now it seemed as if Fenton and Phantom had truly merged together.

Andrew wasn't sure if this was for the best and Danny was getting stronger, or… The or needn't be thought about. Soon they would get an answer and this whole mess could be put behind them.

Right?


	35. Chapter 35

Bonjour, mes chers! You'll have to forgive me for the late update. This time our poll was tied! I wanted to update both this and my Gravity Falls fic at the same time but I'm afraid I'm rather stuck on Gravity Falls. I'll try to update the story within the week, but for now please enjoy this chapter of Substitute! You'll have a new one coming soon!

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well atibelieveinahappilyeverafter

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**Chapter Thirty Five**

::

"Andrew! I was hoping I could catch you before class began." See, now, there was a lot Danny had gotten used to over the years, especially considering he was a half ghost who fought other ghosts and dated one. He was used to getting used to things.

"Ah, Phillip. What is it I can help you with?" This, though? This was just… Lancer wasn't supposed to be so pleasant during school hours and teachers weren't supposed to have first names.

"Um, his first name is Mister." At the unamused look from both of them, Danny peacefully raised his hands, hiding behind his scarf. "Right, teacher thing, got it."

"Mhm." Lancer took a moment to fix Danny with a stare that had him distinctly remembering how he skipped near two periods the other day before reappearing with no explanation. "I just wanted to congratulate you on permanently becoming the new Creative Writing teacher. It'll be nice to have another competent adult around instead of more overgrown children."

"He was made permanent?" Permanent. As in Andrew was no longer a substitute. As in Andrew was made a member of the staff. As in  _Andrew was staying._  Grin wider than it probably should have been, Danny swiftly turned around to capture Andrew in a hug, not much carrying if they were in the middle of the hallway. The students and rumors could go screw themselves. "That's amazing!" Wait. Letting Andrew go just as suddenly, Danny quickly punched him in the arm. "You jerk! Why didn't you tell me!"

Instead of the confident and amused smirk he had been expecting, Andrew was only blankly staring at Lancer with wide eyes that looked- Oh. Lowering his voice, Danny nudged at Andrew's side. "Andy, you did know that they made you permanent, didn't you?"

"I'm afraid that this is the first I've heard of it." Ah. That explained the absolute shock on the man's face, then. "I- They really made me- How on Earth did you find  _that_ out?"

"Kim's been talking about it since yesterday." Kim? Who the hell- Principal Ishiyama? See, this is why teachers shouldn't have first names when all it did was confuse everyone! "Considering Casper High's dwindling reputation, she figured it'd be best to just make you a long-term teacher rather than try to find someone willing to brave daily ghost attacks."

"Hey! They're not  _daily_ anymore." Danny crossed his arms, bravely standing up to Lancer's unamused look. "I've worked hard to make sure they aren't daily- Wait, does this mean Andrew gets to stay for as long as he wants?"

"I don't know the specifics, but I would assume so." Lancer glanced to his watch, frowning. "Sorry, Andrew, I have to get to my homeroom. Congratulations again, though! I'm sure you'll do as great a job as you've been doing. Mr. Fenton, don't be late."

"You have my word." Keeping his voice as solemn and serious as possible, Danny just barely stopped himself from making a noise like a squeal until after Lancer was gone. "Andy! You're a teacher! For real!"

"I… I am…" Andrew still seemed shocked, absently brushing Danny's bangs back when he looked down at him. "I'm a teacher."

"It's not just a for a few weeks anymore." Leaning into the the contact, Danny reluctantly pulled himself back. "We're still at school."

"Right! Right, you're quite right." Danny had a feeling that Andrew was going to be very emotional the rest of the day. "I- I need to go talk to your Principal, I think. Ask her if this is true."

"Which it is." Grinning at Andrew's look, Danny muffled a laugh before brushing up against him again, feeling equal parts proud, amused, and wicked. "See you in class, Mr. Riter."

"You utter deviant." Laughing, Danny quickly ran off, digging his phone out and quickly pulling up Randy's contact.

' _You'll never guess what just happened!_ ' At the expected slew of question marks, Danny happily typed out a play-by-play, grin never falling. Andrew had been made a teacher - not just a substitute, but a well and proper teacher. He wouldn't be leaving in a few weeks. Danny could keep Andrew close by, and this feeling of safety and warmth that he hadn't wanted to end could keep going.

Things were starting to look up in his life.

"Section 13. My, my, you are digging into the past, aren't you, Danny dear?" Then again… What goes up must come down, right? "I hear you had an interesting holiday. Walker took good care of you, I hope."

"At least Walker puts up an actual fight now and then." Spectra. She never stopped, did she? Other students weren't even noticing her. The bell hadn't rung and yet Spectra was just leaning against a wall and looking so  _smug_. "I thought I told you to keep away from me. I know you're real, now."

"Do you really? As far as I can see it doesn't seem like anyone else can see me." Yeah, because teenagers at eight in the morning saw so much. "Actually, now that I think about it, your cute little mate isn't running over to protect you, either."

"You've hidden yourself from others before." That had been when she had drained near half the school, though. How had she gotten so much power again that not even other ghosts could notice her signature? Even Danny, looking hard as he could, was having a hard time feeling it. "Get the hell out of my school."

"Danny, Danny, Danny… You still have no sense of patience, do you?" Spectra took another step closer, Danny feeling the energy that sparked to his hands without even a thought. "My, my. You are indeed slipping fast, though. Careful, Danny dear.  _People are watching_."

There was a swirl of shadows as the bell rang and the lingering students scrambled to not be late, Danny's breath hitching as he felt fingers trail against the back of his neck. "You know, I'm not sure who I had more fun with. You, or sweet little Vladdie. It's so easy to convince people they've been betrayed when they're not allowed visitors, hm?"

By the time Danny screamed and turned to throw an attack, Spectra was already gone from the halls. Fists shaking, Danny bit his lip as he ran to class. Spectra was real. This Spectra, and not the one in his nightmares, was real. How did she know about Section 13, though? Patience? Why would she say- What game was she playing?

Vladdie… Not allowed visitors… How long had Spectra been playing in other people's lives?

::

Hovering over Vlad's shoulder, Danny absently wondered if he should reveal himself when he saw the man look up and straight at where he was invisible. "Just because you've never seen my 'ghost sense' doesn't mean I don't have one, Daniel." Oh.

"Well, how am I supposed to know these things?" Fading back into view, Danny flew over and sat himself down on Vlad's desk as well as what looked like important legal papers. The unamused look was a gift, true- "What the fuck are you wearing glasses?"

"Language." Oh my god. He was still trying to be the responsible uncle. "For as much as my ghost powers have improved my health, there's only so much they can do to age itself." He was actually wearing glasses and they didn't look half bad. Actually, Vlad looked… He looked messier. His outfit was still formal, but his suit jacket had been tossed aside at some point and bits of hair were falling loose around his face. "You're staring."

"You're happy." Oh, Vlad being caught off guard. That was  _very_ new. Danny liked it. "Is it so wrong that I want to check in on my Uncey Vlad." This time, the look on Vlad's face had him near cackling.

"Please be serious." Vlad phased the stack of papers out from under Danny with a reprimanding look, Dann stifling another snort of laughter. He couldn't believe that even just a few months ago the two would have been blasting each other and tearing the office apart instead of sitting and talking. "Are you here for any reason besides adding to my stress?"

"Depends on how you react to what I'm about to tell you." At the cautious look, Danny sighed. Right, better start small. "How long have you known Spectra?" Or he could do that. That- That was fine.

"I- What?" This time, the startled look had traces of fear. Frowning, Danny floated off the desk and wormed his way to sit on the arm of Vlad's chair, trying to make himself seem small. Perhaps that would keep Vlad from kicking him out of his office.

"She's been bugging me a lot lately and today she mentioned you in passing. She…" If Spectra had done what Danny thought she had, then she was the reason behind a decades old grudge and all of Vlad's pain and suffering. "She said something about how it's easy to convince people they've been betrayed when they're not allowed visitors."

"I see." Vlad's expression was indecipherable. Instead of pushing for answers, Danny took a breath and patiently waited. When it came to things like this, at least, he could be patient.

For what seemed like too long there was nothing but the sound of rustling papers and a pen scratching across the surface. Danny could hear wind lightly moving the window panes, he could hear a coffee maker in the corner of the room dripping away, as well as he could make out Vlad's slow heartbeat. He was almost glad the man didn't have any clocks in this room - maybe the ticking annoyed him because of the increased senses? Vlad said he got sensory attacks, after all, so maybe-

"She was my therapist." Attention snapping back, Danny watched as Vlad let his pen drop before he leaned back in his seat, Danny shuffling back to sit on the desk again. "The hospital assigns therapists to patients who are there for longer than a month, as my case was. She introduced herself as Penelope Spectra and told me that together we would find a way out of the depression that was eating me alive."

Vlad gave a bitter smile, looking to Danny. "As you can no doubt imagine, her 'help' never really helped." Taking his glasses off, Vlad rubbed at the bridge of his nose as he continued. "I was banned from visitors for the first month since I was in the ICU. Flowers and cards weren't allowed, either, because they wanted to keep me in a clean room. By the time I was moved to another room, I expected Jack and Maddie-"

Silence ensued for a few moments, Danny carefully flicking his tail at Vlad's leg. "They never showed. No cards, no flowers, no proof that anyone even knew I was gone. It wasn't until much,  _much_ later that I found out what that  _leech_  had done."

"She made it seem like you were alone." Tensing at the sharp look he was given, Danny half expected to be yelled at. He was surprised when Vlad clasped his wrist and looked at him seriously.

"Whatever she tells you from this moment on, it is nothing. All she is doing is working to get you angry. Anger forces you to make mistakes - especially when you know they're mistakes. I won't say nothing is true, because God knows that woman has information on her side, but she twists it to where it seems like a lie."

"I…" Spectra knew so much about all of them. She knew about Andrew and Randy and their past in the Sect of the Crow, she knew about Vlad and had molded him into a bitter man who wanted nothing more than revenge, and she was even beginning to break Danny. No matter how much Vlad told him it wasn't true… "I'll try."

"That's all that can be asked." Vlad cleared his throat, putting his glasses back on and returning his attention to his work. "Was there anything else you wanted to ask - besides Danielle."

"Wha- How do you even know-!" That was supposed to be a surprise ambush!

"She visited me on Christmas for a brief while. I won't say everything's resolved, but she's much more mature than either of us."

"Yeah, tell me about it." She was still stabilized - thank God - and had aged so she looked a bit more like the age she should. Danny was curious as to when Vlad would convince her to settle down and live with him in his mansion. Danny gave it another few months. "I did have something I wanted to ask about Walker."

"Ah, yes. A shame the Observants got to him before I could." That probably shouldn't be so reassuring. "Jasmine asked me and your parents about Section 13. I would guess that you're about to do the same?"

"Stop with the all knowing shit-"

"Language."

" _Anyways_. Walker was going on about how the Dicks-in-White used to be called Section 13. Clockwork doesn't know anything about them and that… That never ends up going well when he doesn't know something."

"I can't say I know much myself," Vlad said, quiet tone showing just how much he had been thinking about this. "You remember that foolish 'ghost-free zone' rule that Amity Park was under? Apparently Section 13 were the ones to establish it in 1927. Even back then Amity Park was one of the weakest places between the worlds."

"Yeah, Mom and Dad told us about that one time." Finally changing back into his human form, Danny absently kept his tail as he curled up on the desk. "They said that's why they settled in Amity Park, because of all the ambient ghost energy."

"Yes…" At the distracted tone, Danny looked up to see Vlad was watching him with a frown. "How long have you been able to form a tail when you're not transformed?"

"Oh, uh… I don't know, really. Since last year, maybe?" Danny looked at his flicking tail, giving a shrug. "Is it that big a deal? You can use your powers when you're human."

"If we're being technical, we're always human. Our ghost sides are just an amalgamation of ghostly energy that condenses and gathers to completely change our physical appearance. Why do you think you can't change when you're so exhausted? We're using our stored energy in order to access those powers."

As Vlad continued to ramble on, Danny stifled a yawn and tucked his tail underneath him. He had a feeling he was going to be here a while before he got any more information about Section 13 - not that he had gotten much to begin with. All he really knew now was that they had made laws about places being ghost-free zones all the way back in the twenties.

Maybe Vlad was rambling on like this to avoid talking about any unsavory truths he had found out about Section 13. That sounded like Vlad. Then again, rambling because he was a science nerd was also kind of him. It was so easy to forget that Vlad had majored in science studies and helped start a  _ghost_ club.

Or-  _Or_ maybe Vlad was going on like this to reassure Danny that he was still human? All three sounded like the man. Actually, doing all three at once  _definitely_ sounded like the man. Well, he at least had learned something today.

Spectra was more dangerous than he gave her credit for. She had already reduced Vlad to… Was it- Was it possible that Spectra had a hand to play in the formation of Dan? The Vladimir Masters of that time had been vague on what had happened and Clockwork even more so. Spectra knew about it because of her power to see surface memories and play off of them, but did she suspect that she had a role to play?

Was it possible she was trying to make a possible future where Dan returned even with Danny's family still being alive?

Or was that just her next plan…


	36. Chapter 36

Bonjour, mes chers! 

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**Chapter Thirty Six**

::

"My, I've certainly become popular today." Vlad Masters looked up with a hard stare, Randy feeling a feral smirk curl onto his lips. It had always been so  _interesting_ when he talked to this man. "If you're looking for Daniel then you'll find he already returned home for the evening."

"Actually, Plasmius, we're here to talk to you." Andrew sat himself down in the chair in front of the man's desk with a clear message that he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

"And just what makes you think that I want to waste any of my time dealing with you two? In case you've forgotten, it's Daniel I've made a truce with, not you."

"Indulge us," Randy grinned, bracing his hands on the desk and feeling energy and  _life_ thrum under his skin. This was where he belonged. Searching for information and tearing it out of people who wanted nothing more than to hold onto it. As much as he hated his part of himself, this was who  _he was_. "We have a few questions about half ghosts."

"Don't all of you." Vlad's heart and pulse were steady as could be and there was suspicion lurking in his eyes but it was the curiosity that was there that Randy played upon. "Tired of a teenager trying to explain things he doesn't understand?"

"Ooh, temper, temper." Andrew's voice was a sweet purr around the words, Randy feeling - for a single moment - like blood was pounding through his veins. "Does your sweet godson know how much anger you still have boiling under the surface there?"

"Does he know about you two?" Vlad sighed, flicking his hand out as if batting away the question. "Unimportant. What kind of information is it that you two want this time?"

"It's about your sweet little badger." Randy shouldn't be so cruel. Vlad cared just as much about Danny but he had spent too many years flitting around lies. This was no time for him to be lied- Vlad's breathing had picked up. "You've noticed it too, haven't you?" The swirl of power Randy felt let him know Vlad was just as worried. "What's happening to him." He didn't let it be a question.

"I don't… I don't know." Vlad leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers as he studied the pair of them. "How often can he use his powers like that when he's not transformed?"

"More often than he used to." Andrew near mirrored the position, his legs crossed and fingers intertwined as the only difference. "There's always been the separation of sides, but now it seems as if there's hardly any. Could this be him finally accepting his powers?"

"Doubtful." Oh, but there was something there. Something he wasn't quite telling them. "As you know, his powers have alway been stronger than mine and no doubt they'll continue that way. It's possible that with his truce among the ghosts and his need to use his powers as much, they're simply manifesting and bleeding through so as to not allow his body to be overwhelmed. He still has sensory attacks, doesn't he?"

"Not as often as he did a year ago. One every few months or so, perhaps?" Andrew was relaxing a small amount, but Vlad was still tensed. Randy didn't like it. "So this could be his body adjusting in a new way?"

"Quite likely. Even among half ghosts Daniel is utterly unique. I wouldn't be surprised if-"

"Plasmius." Randy could feel it. Cool metal under his fingertips and a buzzing in his skin that now allowed him to make himself deadlier than ever before. "You really don't want to withhold information from me today."

Silence. Sweet, blessed silence and then- "It's possible he's dying." None of them seemed shocked by the information. Didn't that just tell them everything they needed to know?

"Possible." Andrew was smiling weakly, hope fading in his eyes that he only just managed to cling to. "As in you're not sure. Like you said earlier, this could be his body adjusting."

"The fact of the matter is that I don't know nearly as much as you think I do." Damn this man for being right. "As great as you think my powers are, I can't predict the future."

"You can't." Glancing to Andrew, Randy looked him over before faking a smile. "Why don't you go back and see if Danny is raiding Vidya for reading material? I'll keep going." If the news was for the worst… Randy could protect them from it a little longer.

"As if I'd ever be able to stop him." Andrew sighed, standing up and brushing himself off lightly. "Thank you for your time, Vladimir. I know you could have easily chosen to fight us on this."

"I don't think Daniel would appreciate me utterly destroying his mates in a battle." As Andrew scoffed and opened his mouth to fight back, Randy froze and gave Vlad a sharp look. Mates? "Don't you have someone to be, Randall? Best to be on time."

"I'll be sure to let Danny know you have a sense of humor next to that stick up your ass." Turning on his heel, Randy gathered his power around him and pictured the inside of the Clock Tower clearly in his mind. A blink of his eyes, darkness, and Clockwork was in front of him. "Bonjour."

"Bonjour, jeune." Young one, hm? Never before had Randy felt like such a child looking up to someone far older and wiser than him. "Do you really wish to know?"

"I can't protect them without knowing what's happening to them. If the worst is true and I have to live with that knowledge… So be it. You know how I am."

"I know that you would do anything for them." Clockwork gently ruffled his hair, Randy trying not to laugh. When was the last time someone had done that to him? "You might not like the answers."

"So be it." There was a steady silence between them, Randy closing his eyes as he heard the ticking of hundreds of clocks. It washed over him in waves, the steady passage of time carefully moving around them in moments and seconds. For once, the world stopped and Randy let himself drown.

A shame such a thing could never last. "Tell me." A single moment suspended in time with the possibility of entire futures held within it.

"He's not dying in the way you think he is." Breath exploding out of him, Randy opened his eyes to see Clockwork giving him a warm smile. "It might be more technical to say that he's becoming what he was always supposed to."

"So he's… He's going to be okay?" Randy couldn't be White Fang in this moment- He couldn't even be the Mercenary. He could only be… Mates, huh?

"He's going to be okay." Taking another breath, Randy shook his head. "I can tell you more, but I have a feeling…"

"It's Danny's life. I know the value of secrets more than most and how heavy a price they can bring. Just tell me he'll really be alright."

"He will be okay, Randall. No matter what happens it will all be okay one day. You have my word not as Master of Time, but as someone who cares deeply about all three of you."

"You said… You said he's becoming what he was always supposed to be." Randy stared at Clockwork, eyes narrowing. There were no tells in his stance. His core was calm and steady, there was no hitched breathing, and no straying eyes. It was so easy to tell that Clockwork had never been human. "What do you see for us?"

"A future." Clockwork was a powerful being who saw and controlled all of time. Oh, he was human in nature, Randy would never deny that. He genuinely cared for Jazz and he loved Danny like this own, but there were parts of him that were so  _alien_. "White Fang learned not to trust early on, but I hope you can trust me as Randall Beaumont. I only want the best for all of you. Please believe that much."

This ancient being had a plan he was working towards. One that had been in motion since before Randy was even a thought, if he was right about his guess. Everything in him screamed not to trust Clockwork, but… Danny trusted him. "Keep him safe."

"Always." Clockwork rested a hand on his hair, smiling softly. "Go be with them. You need to see them for yourself, don't you?"

"This conversation isn't over." Randy might not want to pry, but he knew that this conversation would come up again. "And we're not mates."

"I never said you were." Just like that, the tense moment passed and Clockwork was nothing more or less than a friend and guide. "Although if you'd like a sneak peek-"

" _Goodbye_ , Clockwork." Pulling his powers around him, Randy closed his eyes and focused on the ghostly signatures that were more familiar than his own. A rush of breath and he was stepping off of stone before landing on soft carpet.

"Randy! Hey, so, uh, can you tell me what's going on?" Danny was on the couch with Andrew- Well, it would be more accurate to say that Danny was sitting on Andrew while Andrew was sitting on the couch and tightly wrapped around Danny. "Andy got here and then, you know, this."

Too insubstantial. There was something about Danny that was so  _insubstantial_. There was a glaze to the eyes that made them look green in the low lighting, there was a sharpness to his teeth that could never be human, and his entire being seemed as if he could disappear at any moment. "Randy? Hey, you alright? I mean, I'd offer a hug, but I'm a bit too wrapped up in something at the moment. Well, someone."

"That was horrible," Andrew mumbled, Randy seeing how tense and uneasy he still was. His arms were tight around Danny and hands had slipped under his shirt, lips pressed against the teen's neck. Danny probably didn't realize Andrew was keeping close tabs on his pulse. "I can't show you affection for no reason?"

"I mean, I'm so not against that, but- Is this you finally realizing you've become a permanent teacher? Because I have  _other_  ways to-" Danny's breath hitched and caught in his lungs, Randy only absently realizing he was half kneeling on the couch and had cupped Danny's cheeks. "Randy?"

"'S okay." Randy pressed closer, leaning his forehead against Danny's and exhaling a slow breath. When he breathed in, there was a sharp, crisp cold that reminded him of winter days. "It's okay." Kissing at Danny's cheek, Randy slipped a hand down to link with the one Andrew was holding out towards him. "You're okay." He wondered if Danny could hear the  _relief_ in his voice as clearly as he knew Andrew could.

"Um, yeah? I don't think you are, though." Mind stilling as hands settled on his own cheeks, Randy stared into blue eyes that shined just a bit too bright. "What happened?"

The barest trace of a smile crossed his lips, Randy pecking Danny on the very corner of his lips. "I got some reassurance about something that was worrying me."

"O-Oh! Oh, well, uh- I don't know- Um, I mean, not that you're  _wrong_ , but, uh, I don't- Oh, boy, I so expected to have more time to plan some kind of speech out or something. I mean, it's pretty easy to see how you got that reassurance, but, um-" Randy couldn't tell if Danny had cut himself off from sheer embarrassment or if it was because Andrew was trying to stifle near hysterical laughter. "You, uh, you weren't talking about  _that_ , were you?"

"No, but having  _that_ reassurance is rather nice, too." Grin wider, Randy properly sat down on the couch before pulling Danny into his lap, the teen's legs still in Andrew's own. "You know, you sometimes blush blue when you're not Phantom."

"Shut up! I'm not blushing!" Danny's entire face was flushed a splotchy red with dashes of blue here and there. "Just- No. Desist. Hey, homework- Celebrate! We should celebrate, because, you know, Andy got made Creative Writing teacher officially. Let's go out. You want to go out? We should go out to eat somewhere for once."

As Danny continued babbling and rambling, Randy propped his chin up on the teen's head and looked to Andrew, giving a small smile. They would all be okay. Andrew must have seen the message since he relaxed even more, lightly rubbing at Danny's ankle as he nodded along to whatever Danny was saying.

Clockwork may have not been human, but then, Randy hadn't been for a long time, either. Besides, unlike himself, Randy trusted Clockwork. They would be okay.

::

"Are you guys really okay?" Looking up from the book he was reading, Randy blinked as he saw Danny floating in front of him. "You've been off since I got back from Vlad's."

"Like I said, we got reassurance over something we were worried about." Randy moved his book to one hand, holding his free arm out towards Danny. It was hardly a second later that Danny was straddling his lap and curling his arms around Randy's shoulders, pressing close to kiss at his neck. Suppressing a shudder, Randy tugged on a lock of Danny's hair. "Stop that."

"Never." Rolling his eyes, Randy kept a hand tangled in Danny's hair before going back to his book. "Whatcha reading?"

"Research for my next job." As if he had just been waiting for that, Danny squirmed and wiggled until he could read the book - or at least, read it as well as he could when it was upside down for him. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, can you tilt it towards me a bit more?" Snapping the book shut, Randy set it aside before quickly dragging Danny forward, the action quick enough to throw Danny off balance and have him collapsing against his chest. "I mean, this works too."

"And here I thought you'd be upset." Trying not to let his amusement show, Randy kissed at Danny's cheek quickly. It was so hard to keep his distance when he had been worried over this since Danny's school year  _started_. It didn't hurt that Danny always had the most delightful reactions.

"Ra- Randy?" Even with how much of his powers slipped through, Danny was still so  _human_. There was a chill to him but warm skin still flushed under his fingertips and lips still brushed against a pounding and racing pulse. The teen was full of life as he squirmed against him, air swirling and trapped in his lungs before he forced it out through hitching breaths. " _Randy_."

He wanted to keep this teen safe. As he felt each dip and curve of the spine, Randy realized the he wanted to keep Danny as safe as he had fought to keep Andrew for all those years. As his palm rubbed against warm, flushed skin and felt expanding ribs, he wanted nothing more than to always have this sweet little phantom in his life.

The pulse racing in his neck fluttered against Randy's lips, Randy bringing Danny close and pressing a reverent kiss upon the spot. He felt Danny shudder and arch into each of his touches, face flushing red and blue and eyes bleeding into a shimmering green.

Forcibly stilling himself, Randy fought to keep control of himself as he pinned Danny down and kept him from wiggling anymore than he had been. When his eyes caught on the younger's, he saw Danny was completely and utterly lost. "Oh, mon douce." Randy captured his chin and brought him in close, lips  _so close_ to touching. "You and Andy are going to be the death of me."

"I think that's my line," Danny gasped out, breathing as if he had just run a marathon. "I swear to God one of these days one of us is going to break."

"But where's the fun in that being today?" Randy pressed a kiss to Danny's cheek and bundled him close, soothingly running a hand through his hair. "Okay?"

"Oh my god, this is worse than Andy ever was." Danny's flush was still prominent, the teen shifting and moving until he was tightly tucked up against Randy. "This can't keep going on."

"Mm." Kissing behind Danny's ear, Randy looped an arm around him and gave a little nudge. "Want to learn more about ancient Ghost Zone history with me?"

There was a long silence before Danny sighed explosively, slumping in what was clearly defeat. "You know I do. And this isn't over."

"I'll keep that in mind." It was getting so hard to keep protesting about the jokes of them all three being mates when he felt like this. He had long known his feelings and obsession for Andrew, but this… This was new. This was  _interesting_.

He couldn't wait to see how this game of theirs ended.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty Seven**

::

"Aren't you supposed to be grading test papers and fending off horny teenagers?" Completely ignoring Randy's words, Andrew instead poked at the man's cheek, narrowing his eyes. There had to be a logical explanation as to why Randy had more power than even Danny sometimes- Well, actually, thinking on it, Danny demonstrated way more raw power. Randy, though, had twenty years experience in using his powers. "Andy, what are you doing?"

Perhaps it was a combination of that raw power and experience? Andrew was quite powerful himself, being able to control and rewrite reality, but there were  _limits_. Plus, Andrew had never really worked to further his ghost powers. He had always relied on what he had gained as the Priest of Death, he never really thought about what he gained as a ghost. "Andy? You're officially starting to worry me here."

Randy had told him of his meeting with Clockwork, or at least what he deemed important, and it seemed as if Danny was destined to be a part of this world from the beginning. As his mate, shouldn't Andrew know more about himself as a ghost? Oh, sure, he knew the history well enough, but he didn't- "Ow." Blinking, Andrew gave a small frown from where Randy had pinned him to the couch. "What was that for?"

"Knocked you out of your thoughts, didn't it?" Randy settled down to sit on top of him, still pinning his wrists as he gave an adorable tilt of his head. Like a puppy sometimes, honestly. "You've been studying me for the past ten minutes. What's wrong?"

"We should do a sparring session with our ghost powers." Okay, he hadn't really thought that through before asking, but it was a good idea! "Danny's gone for the rest of the day so we have all night." Oh, hm, that had some meanings to it that- Right. "Fight. We have- Right, um, yes. We should spar."

"You hate sparring." Randy looked equal parts amused and worried, letting up on him a little. "Just what are you thinking about so heavily, hm?"

"I'm not allowed to want to spar with my sweet older brother-" Andrew couldn't even fully finish, already laughing even as he was shoved off the couch. "I'm serious about sparring, though! I feel… I feel like I should be able to use my ghost powers more than I do."

"You use them just fine from what I've seen. I don't want to be trapped in a poem, either. Danny says it's hell," Randy said, easily dragging Andrew back onto the couch. "What's this really about?"

"Well, I also want to study your own powers a bit more. I never get to see what you can really do." Question skillfully dodged, Andrew smiled up at Randy and channeled whatever sweetness and innocence was left inside of him. "S'il vous plaît, grand frère?"

"There is a special level of hell reserved just for you." Heh, too easy. "Don't think I didn't notice how you dodged my question, either."

"I never use my powers," Andrew shrugged, standing up and watching as Randy floated himself off the couch more than anything. "See? I don't use my invisibility, I hardly use intangibility, and I never fly if I can help it." It was unnerving to be in the air like that. "Even my reality controlling powers I use sparingly." The last time he used them had been on Danny and before that… God, who even knew.

"You never needed them," Randy shrugged, capturing Andrew by the chin and kissing his forehead. Andrew would have been lying if he said he hadn't blushed. "You've always been strong and unstoppable just the way you are."

"Leave the cheesy compliments to Danny, please." Focus. Don't let him win, Andrew. "I just think it'd be interesting to fight using my powers instead of relying on my knives." Interesting. Yes. That was a word.

"Mhm." Randy studied him for a second longer before laughing and grabbing his hand. A blink of the eye and they were in Liz's training room, Andrew having only a second to tense before he was suddenly kicked across the room. "Alright, then." Oh, god, what had he gotten himself into? "No weapons and ghost powers only."

It wasn't White Fang staring him down, but the persona Randy had crafted through twenty years running around a destroyed and foreign world with nothing but his wits and power that he couldn't control. It was the ghostly Mercenary that stared him down with a vicious grin and eyes that were turning into a glowing white.

"I don't think kicking me across the room like that was necessary." Shedding his coat, Andrew tossed it aside at the exact moment Randy was in front of him and oh. Right. Ghost powers. This wasn't going to be pleasant, was it?

He was proved right a second later when he was thrown against the wall again, Andrew just barely dodging the place where the wall should have been cracked with how much force Randy had used in the kick. "C'mon, Andy. You said this was a fight with ghost powers, didn't you?"

"You're forgetting that the most I use my powers for is to float some books around and to phase off clothes." Blushing at the memory those words invoked, Andrew wasn't prepared for the blast of pure ectoplasmic energy that hit him in his side and tore through his clothing. " _Fuck_ \- Randy!"

"Shield up." This was nothing like White Fang. Andrew, no, the Priest knew White Fang more than he ever had anyone else - even Danny. This wasn't White Fang, though, and Andrew was floundering. "Do you even know how to use those powers of yours?"

Another attack had him quickly backpedaling around, Andrew slipping to the ground and pushing himself up to quickly get to the other side of the room. Randy's foot collided with his back and sent him crashing down with far more force than was really necessary for a simple sparring match. "I think I mentioned how I never used my powers!"

"You can't afford to think like that anymore." So Randy felt it too, then. White Fang and the Priest weren't enough for this world. "You're not the Priest of Death!"

"I know that!" Andrew blocked a ferocious kick with his arm, gritting his teeth and eyes wide as he saw the white energy that was swirling around Randy. This was nothing like what he was used to. He- He wasn't Danny and Randy! He didn't get into  _ghost_ fights like this!

"Do you?!" A white bubble wrapped around Andrew, Randy slamming his arm forward. The bubble followed the motion at once, Andrew bracing himself as it disappeared and he hit the wall instead. "Stop thinking like a human, Andy. You are  _not_ human anymore."

Shaking as he climbed to his feet, Andrew panted and fell into a defensive stance. If he could just get one of his knives- A speeding ball of white energy came crashing towards him, Andrew throwing his arm up and flicking his fingers as a large purple shield sprung into existence. Shields, at least, were easy enough.

"There you go." Randy had shed his own coat and guns and was dressed in only his pants and an undershirt, energy still swirling around him. "You have more instincts to rely on than just the Priest's. Stop being the Priest and be the Ghostwriter." Ghostwriter…

No movement and Randy was suddenly in front of him with a fist coming down, Andrew quickly phasing through the attack and darting into the air and okay, okay, this was fine. He was flying. He was a ghost. That was what- Shit. Crossing both his arms, Andrew conjured another shield, cracks forming upon the surface as Randy's boot came down hard on top of it. He hadn't felt his helpless since he had first started learning how to fight.

"Stop fighting like an assassin, Andy." Randy flew back in the air, energy gathering around him again as he formed a bubble shield around the two of them. "If you can't do that then be  _more_ than that. You're not the Priest. You're  _better_."

Powers. What did he have? Flight, teleportation, intangibility, invisibility, levitation- Levitation. Ghosts couldn't phase through each other's energy, although that didn't mean they couldn't shatter it. Staring down at the purple energy that gathered in his hands, Andrew took a shuddering breath.

He wasn't human anymore. Whatever was going to happen was going to change all of them - forever. He wasn't human and he needed to get over that if he was ever going to grow. He wasn't the Priest and he could no longer fight like that. He had to be better. He didn't have the raw power that most ghosts had - he never would. There were things that he  _could_ do, however.

"You want the Ghostwriter?" More. More energy. Gather everything he had. "Very well. You might end up regretting that." Randy's bubble shields were some the strongest Andrew had ever seen, but that didn't mean they couldn't be broken.

"Show me what you got, then." Bracing himself, Andrew fired every inch of gathered energy in his hands straight towards Randy. As expected, Randy dodged out of the way at once, face falling as he realized what Andrew had done.

"Not even your shields can stand up to everything." Darting through the shattered hole he had made, Andrew landed and skidded along the floor, throwing a shield up the same time he threw his energy towards the knives he had his coat that had been tossed aside. "You're wrong about something, though."

Looking up to Randy, Andrew pulled his hand into a fist, grinning as a dozen knives appeared in front of him. "Not everything I learned as the Priest was useless." A spin of his heel and Andrew was making a sharp throwing motion, grinning viciously as every knife he had gathered went flying straight towards Randy.

A flash of teleportation and Randy was suddenly behind him, Andrew turning on his heel once more and throwing up a shield a second before Randy's attack could hit him. He had never seen Randy look so proud. "Now we're getting somewhere!" The energy in the room spiked and gathered even more, the bubble shield widening and repairing to encase every bit of the room they were in. "You said you wanted to learn all of my powers, right?"

"I want to know what you can do." Andrew pulled his knives back to him, letting them encircle and fly around his head, one dropping into his hand. "Show me."

"As you wish." Randy raised a clenched fist, Andrew's eyes widening as dozens of guns of all types appeared everywhere in the air around them, all of them aimed straight at Andrew. "I think the no weapon rule has already been broken, oui?"

Dozens of guns and they were all aimed at him- What if they weren't? Andrew wasn't the Priest. He was the Ghostwriter. The Reality Keyboard had carried the brunt of his power and amplified it dozens of times over but there were still things he could do without it. "You said you wanted to see what I could do, too."

He had only done this once in the very beginning, but he could do it again. Throwing the knife he was holding up to float with the others, Andrew held his hand up and focused. A moment later and an ornate quill was in his hand and glowing with energy that resonated with his own, "You haven't seen all my tricks, yet."

"Well?" Randy was grinning wider than Andrew had seen him in ages, energy spiking and moving around them as it near drowned the room. "Let's see what you really got, Ghostwriter."

"After you, Mercenary." Stronger than the Priest of Death? Andrew had never dare thought of such a thing, but right now… He already was stronger. And he was going to keep proving it.

This story was his to control.

::

"You know, I think we're gonna have to show Danny what we can do one of these days." Randy was laughing and grinning even as he spread healing tonic over their wounds from where they had gotten carried away.

"I think it's going to be a while before I try something like this again." Andrew couldn't help his own bubbling laughter, though, leaning into each careful touch and sighing as the tonic started dulling the pain. "I didn't know you could summon guns like that."

"What about you! I know you had the keyboard, but I thought you couldn't do anything large scale like that without it. You near had me completely controlled at one point."

"Yes, well." Smiling, Andrew leaned into the touch on his cheek, breath leaving in a soft sigh. "I had a very good teacher."

"I think there's a joke here about the student becoming the teacher?" Taking a moment to process the words, Andrew scowled even as Randy started laughing.

"Keep that up and I'll make sure Danny knows some things about you that you might not want him to find out." For emphasis, Andrew gave a sharp tug to Randy's hair. The look torn between pleasure and pain had Andrew grinning as he shifted closer. "Oh? Still sensitive there?"

"Now, it can be said that we've both been a bit cruel today, so I think it's best if we-" Cutting the rest of the words off by knocking Randy onto his back, Andrew had laughter bubbling out of him again at the choked noise.

"Does this mean I win?" Before Randy could argue with him, Andrew was slipping a hand behind Randy's ear and rubbing small circles into the spot. Unlike with Danny, Randy didn't even try to stop the moan that slipped out of him. "You know, you're the one who's dragging his feet now."

"Maybe I'm-" Randy bit his lip, shuddering as Andrew pressed harder against the scalp. "Maybe I'm just waiting for the right moment?"

"Randy." Andrew slowly stopped, smiling down at the man and shaking his head. He really was too fond of this idiot. "There's no such thing as the 'right' moment. Danny told me he loved me when he was soaking wet and still crying from a thunderstorm. He then complained that the moment wasn't dramatic enough seconds after I admitted to feeling the same."

"Yeah, well, I'm a perfectionist." Humming, Andrew slipped a hand down to Randy's neck, gently massaging at the back of it before sharply dragging his nails straight across. He would later deny he did any such thing as to lick his lips- No, he would probably admit to that. "You're- You're being very cr-cruel."

"Mm, consider it payback on Danny's behalf, then." Lightly kissing at Randy's neck, Andrew patted his cheek before standing up and reaching for his shirt. "Now come on. I have homework to grade still and I want you to help me with it."

There was a groan from Randy, Andrew looking down to see the man's face was flushed even more than when they had been fighting at their strongest. "We're all going to be the end of each other."

"Mm. I don't think that has to be a bad thing." Helping Randy to his feet, Andrew pecked him on the cheek. Anymore than that and Andrew knew he wouldn't be leaving it at just a kiss. "Don't you want to laugh at these teenagers and their poor writing attempts? I'm grading French homework, too."

"Oh, well, if it's French." Rolling his eyes, Randy tugged Andrew in for a hug, tension bleeding out of him. "I'm eventually going to find out what it is that has you so ready to learn how to fight with your ghost powers suddenly."

"I guess…" Andrew knew he was the weakest of them when they went up against ghosts. He couldn't afford that if things kept going like they did. "I guess I realized I needed to be stronger than I was."

"You always were." Hard times were coming. Andrew knew where this story was going and he knew the kind of trouble they would be facing. Despite it all - or maybe because of it - Andrew wasn't going to be left behind this time.

This was their story and he was going to fight like hell to get them to the happy ending they all deserved.


	38. Chapter 38

Bonjour, mes chers!

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at [ibelieveinahappilyeverafter ](http://ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20substitute)as well!

Warnings for: sexual content, references, and just plain old dirty talk

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Eight**

::

"I'm not awake enough for this." Andrew was staring at the tray of food across their laps without any sense of comprehension, Danny only looking between Andrew and a nervously smiling Randy. "Did… Is this all heart shaped?"

"Of sorts." Randy's entire  _being_ was nervous, Danny watching as he near bounced in place. "Quite a bit of it was too difficult to really make heart shaped, but I thought perhaps you might enjoy the attempt."

"Huh." Oh, it seemed the two had switched personalities again- Right, right. This was how they used to act. Danny actually felt a little honored that he got to see them like this, warm and soft around the edges with pieces of who they had been shining through like sunlight on a misty morning- The pancakes were literally shaped like hearts they weren't joking.

"Randy." Danny pulled one of the plates over, near whining at the heart shaped  _strawberry_ that was placed on top of a pile of whip cream. "I fucking love you."

"One day you'll be able to tell him that without the swearing," Andrew yawned, immediately flipping Randy off at the laughter he heard. "Tell me there's coffee."

"You insult me by insinuating there wouldn't be." Randy was laughing softly again as he handed over a cup, Danny watching with interest as Andrew grabbed the older's shirt and pulled him down enough to kiss at the corner of his lips. "I see you're still very affectionate in the mornings."

"Oh, yes. He is. So much." Heh. Affectionate. That was a word for it. The only reason Danny probably didn't have his face shoved in his pancakes was because of all the hard work put into the food. At least, that was what Andrew's expression was saying- Wait. Heart shaped. "Did you seriously make us breakfast in bed on Valentine's day?"

"Is it Valentine's day?" Oh, bullshit. "I had no idea. Mm, time really slips past you when you spend so much time in the Ghost Zone."  _Bullshit_. "I suppose you two are going to be doing something after school."

Glancing to Andrew, Danny was pleased to see he had the same disbelieving expression on his face. It then turned utterly wicked. "Oh, yes. I imagine we'll be out the rest of the night." Oh, would they? That was news to Danny. "Right?"

"Probably part of the next morning, too," Danny laughed, happily playing along. The results would pay themselves off later, hopefully. "Why? Did you have something-"

"No, no, just checking." Oh, please. Randy totally wanted to spend the day cuddled up to them. God, Danny couldn't wait until one of them broke because he was starting to  _suffer_ from all of this- Oh, God, these pancakes were  _sin_. "You should get ready, you know. You don't want to be late to school."

Randy gave them a soft, warm smile, Danny seeing the flash of emotions - he was pretty sure he saw a bit of heartbreak, which,  _fuck_ \- in his eyes before he was leaving the room. Waiting a heartbeat, Danny glanced to the ceiling, "He gone?" The playful notes plucked into his head had him nodding. "Good. Andy, how the fuck did we forget it was Valentine's Day?"

"I don't know." Andrew groaned as he fell backwards onto the bed, palms digging into his eyes. "I thought it wasn't until tomorrow."

"Well. It's barely started and we've already fucked up- Andy, he made us  _breakfast in bed_." It was delicious, too. Danny could barely take time to talk through all the food he was shoveling into his mouth- It was  _Randy_ food. "He's perfect."

"I believe that's been made clear far before now," Andrew huffed, peeking up at Danny with a look that showed he was feeling just as guilty. "We need to do something big."

"Really big." Randy really had tried to make everything heart shaped. "I feel like this is the only way he can tell us his feelings right now and there's no way I'm letting that go unrewarded."

"Oh? And just how will he be receiving his  _reward_ , hm?" Pausing, Danny nibbled on the end of his fork, lost in his thoughts for a moment. For as much as he had some very specific thoughts on how to respond to Andrew, most of his thoughts were just… He wanted to show Randy just how much they really  _did_ care for him.

"We need to think of something good. It almost killed me to lie to him like that." As if they were ever going to leave Randy alone on Valentine's Day. "Andy, I'm feeling guilty."

"I know." Groaning, Andrew sat back up, staring at the breakfast before slowly nibbling on one of the pancakes. "Danny. Have you looked closely at the pancakes?"

"Andy, they're heart shaped, I can't really- Oh my god." Sprinkles. There were little heart shaped  _sprinkles_  baked into them. "I don't want to be cliche and break on Valentine's Day, but Randy is really pushing me right now." Danny  _so wanted_ to go into the kitchen and push Randy up against the counter and thank him for all of this and maybe sink down to his knees and-

"Your lust is showing." Smacking Andrew's arm, Danny shoved more of the pancakes into his mouth. "Right. How about we both think of some ideas on what to do and we'll discuss them at lunch?"

"Good plan." Grabbing one of the napkins, Danny stared at it before slowly holding it out to Andrew, falling back onto the bed once it was taken.

"Is this… Is this a poem? A love poem? With hearts drawn all of it?"

"We're screwed."

"One can only hope, mon cher."

::

' _I think I might mess around with some recipes tonight, do you two want me to save you a few things for when you get back tomorrow?_ ' Danny sincerely hoped Andrew was feeling the same sense of guilt he did at seeing that message sent to the both of them. Randy honestly thought they were going to leave him alone  _today_ of all days.

' _That would be lovely, Randy. You should practice your desserts more. You've always had particular success with those truffles you adore making._ '

' _I am so up for desserts!_ ' Wait… ' _You're teaching a class right now?_ '

' _And you're in one. Your point?_ '

' _You two are a wreck._ ' See, this is why there shouldn't be a group chat for all three of them. It was hard enough to normally fight off his urge to laugh in class. ' _I guess I'll hang around Vidya and keep her company for the day. See you two tomorrow._ '

Guilt. Chewing on his lip, Danny opened up his private chat with Randy, thinking on what to say for a moment. ' _Okay but how the hell are jellyfish immortal? I mean what the fuck?_ ' ...He was a fucking idiot.

Hiding his face in his arms, Danny resolutely ignored his phone for a full two minutes. His longest time yet. ' _I_ ' ' _I dont_ ' ' _I cant_ ' Was that… That seemed bad. ' _Thank you for making me laugh like an idiot in the middle of the kitchen._ ' Good. That was good.

' _I'm serious! How are they immortal? Why? How did this happen? I bet you anything that Clockwork is somehow behind this._ ' Alright, Danny couldn't spoil the surprise, but he could still try and cheer Randy up.

' _It wouldn't surprise me, in the end._ ' ' _Pay attention, your school career is important._ ' Alright, Andy. ' _You're calling me Andy right now, aren't you?_ '

' _You can't prove that._ ' Dammit. He forgot how well Randy knew him. ' _Raaaandy._ '

' _Danny._ ' Smothering a laugh, Danny grinned down at his phone in what made him, most likely, look like an adoring idiot. Judging by the look Tucker was giving him, he wasn't far off. ' _I have cooking to do, you know. Or, well, baking, I suppose._ '

' _Talk to me._ ' Oh, huh, that was something Randy usually said to  _him_ all the time. Maybe it would work to get Randy to talk to him instead of hiding behind jokes like Danny always did. It worked well when Randy used it on Danny.

Lost in his thoughts, it took a bit to realize a reply hadn't come in even after a few long minutes. Biting on his lip, Danny was just about to say something - anything - when a new message popped up. ' _What do you want me to talk about?_ '

Fuck, there was a question. Danny could ask him to talk about the Sect, what Spectra had managed to say to get  _him_ to reveal so much about the past, the day he shot Andrew, about what he did when exploring the Ghost Zone for 'business'- He could ask him about his death and how he died and Danny had no doubt that Randy would tell him. He could ask anything and Randy would tell him nothing but the full and complete truth. ' _What's your favorite color?_ ' He couldn't do that, though. ' _Hey do you have a favorite tv show?_ ' There was too much darkness still for Randy to ever want to part with those secrets. ' _What's your favorite thing to draw?_ ' Danny knew the price of secrets. ' _If you say white is your favorite color I'll be very disappointed._ ' He wouldn't make Randy pay the price.

' _Fuck Danny_ ' Oh, Randy was definitely crying - no doubt smiling like an idiot at the same time, too. Danny kind of wanted to teleport to his side - he could already feel the energy swarming and building up under his skin before he squashed it down. It was getting dangerously easy to call his energy up in human form. ' _No its-_ ' ' _It's brown_ ' ' _Coffee brown after some milk and sugars been added_ ' ' _Soft and warm you know? Like autumn_ '

' _That's a good color._ ' One day. One day Danny would find out all those secrets, but… For now, this was so much better. ' _Don't tell Andy but my favorite used to be orange._ '

For now, this was just perfect.

::

"I… I don't know how to feel about all of this." Danny stared at the pile of wrapped gifts on Andrew's desk, all of them either cards, boxes of chocolates, or other small tokens of student affection. "How many do you have?"

"I'm honestly not sure. While some of them are rather innocent and a bit cute, others are… Well, let's just say I am making a list of the handwriting I recognize. It's a list you're not getting." Wha- Danny wasn't that bad! "You just tore one of the cards into pieces." Oh, so he had.

"They can't have you." Danny lit another few cards on fire for emphasis, huffing as he dusted the ash of his hands. The cute ones from students who actually just enjoyed Andrew as a teacher, those he could handle. But the others… Andy was  _his_. "I'm eating those chocolates."

"I'm not sure I should encourage this behavior." Looking up to argue that he was totally in the right, Danny was silenced by a deep kiss that had him pressing back at once, quiet noise in the back of his throat. He barely got to deepen it before sweetness suddenly burst across his tongue, Danny jerking and whining when Andrew broke the kiss off, a melting dollop of chocolate candy left behind. "Although, it is rather adorable."

Staying silent, Danny swallowed and oh, boy. He was way in over his head with these two somedays. He loved it. "Ri- Right! Randy. We should be talking about Randy."

"I haven't come up with anything really noteworthy," Andrew sighed, sitting back at his desk and hiding a smile as Danny sat down on his desk right in front of him. "I want- I don't-"

"I know." They wanted to show Randy that yes, this very much was a date. They didn't want Randy to think that this wasn't real- God, Danny wasn't sure what this even was, sometimes, but whatever it was it very much was real. "Oh! What if we take him to one of the biomes! There has to be one he really-"

"No." Andrew covered Danny's mouth before he could say anymore, giving him a stern look. "We get enough adventure in our lives as is. No, this has to be- This has to be  _special_."

"For complaining about Randy so much, you're being kind of a hypocrite yourself."

"Hello, Pot, I'm Kettle." Kicking out at Andrew's stomach, Danny huffed as his foot was grabbed easily. "I want this to be good for him."

"I can think of a lot of ways we can make it good for- Kidding, kidding! I'm panicking! I compensate with humor." Not resisting as he was pulled into Andrew's lap, Danny instead tucked himself under the man's chin and gave a huff. "Why is this so hard?"

"Why did it feel easier when it was just us?" Letting silence fall around them, Danny stared at the whiteboard behind them before biting his lip.

"I think… I think it was easier because it meant less." Feeling Andrew tense up, Danny clutched onto him tighter, hand fisting in Andrew's coat as his free hand moved to hold the scarf around his own neck tightly. "I… We loved each other, yeah, but with our first date it just kind of… It was more just as friends, you know? We didn't mean everything to each other like we do now. We were just friends that were becoming more. It was natural. It was easier because it meant less than it does now. If we mess up now…"

"It feels like we won't get a second chance." Slumping at the fingers tangling through his hair, Danny gave a small nod. "This is harder because it's something that's already happened, in some ways."

"We really know how to fuck things up, huh?" Smiling a bit at the rumbling laugh that vibrated through him, Danny leaned up to lean his forehead against Andrew's. "Right. Let's make it easier, then. Our first date. What did we do?"

"We went to that depressing coffee shop you and Samantha frequently visit, bought a few books, got into a ghost fight, and then I think we ended up drinking more coffee at Vidya."

"Good memory," Danny teased, kissing at the tip of Andrew's nose and enjoying the blush. "Why did we go to that coffee shop?"

"It was close? It was rather spur of the moment, actually… We saw each other at that one bookstore, I asked if you wanted to get some coffee, and it just went from there."

"So it was natural." What was natural for the three of them? "We just did what felt right. So what feels right when it's the three of us?"

"It… I-" Andrew groaned loudly, Danny letting a laugh slip out. "This is making it even harder, mon cher!"

"No, no, this is working great! Come on, let's think. Do we all feel better in the Ghost Zone or the human world?"

"Ghost Zone." Thinking on it, Danny should probably worry the Ghost Zone felt the safest for him out of all other places. Then again, it did make perfect sense, didn't it? "Usually at either Vidya or Liz."

"Vidya, most days, I think. Liz is way more self sufficient, but it would break Vidya's heart if we left her alone." That's what was natural for them, though. All three of them curled up at Vidya and just… "We've been looking at this all wrong."

"No grand declarations." Andrew tightened his grip on Danny's hair, pulling him up a bit to drag him into a kiss. "No dramatic gestures, no ridiculously thought out plans, no extravagant gifts, but just…"

"Just us." Just the three of them together, safe at home where nothing could hurt them. God, they were always hurting so much, but the three of them together and tucked away in Vidya, well. Not a thing could hurt them, then.

"I think we found out what to do today." Kissing Danny on his cheek, Andrew glanced to the clock. "You should start getting to class."

"I mean, yeah, I probably should." Shifting his grip to tightly wrap around Andrew, Danny grinned as he kissed at the man's neck. "We have a bit longer, though, right?"

"Ye- Yes. Far as I recall, however, your class is on the other side of the building." Mm, what a shame that was, too. He probably  _should_ get going. He was late enough as it was.

"Yeah, it is." Sighing and leaning back, Danny stared at Andrew for a long few moments, fingertips absently brushing across the back of the man's neck. Watching Andrew shudder at his touch, Danny knew he didn't have a chance in hell of leaving right now. "Then again, it's just P.E."

"I don't think- Ah, I don't think I'd be a very responsible teacher-" Digging his nails into the skin the barest amount, Danny took no small amount of pride in watching Andrew cut himself off with another shiver, groan low in the back of his throat. "You're going to be the end of me."

"Simply returning the favor." And oh, yes. Danny would be getting his exercise in a different way, today.

Hopefully they could do something similar with Randy, tonight.

::

"Honestly, I don't see why you lot are trying to bother to act innocent." God. Danny wished he could watch all of Andrew's classes because they were just so  _perfect_. "I grade your tests and a great deal of you handwrite your essays. You don't think I recognize your handwriting at this point?"

"Don't mind him, he's just embarrassed at all the attention." Oh, Danny wasn't sure what was better. While the class near jumped out of their seats or started whispering, Andrew looked at him with a blush that took over his whole face. Ah, how nice to be remembered so clearly. "Bonjour."

" _You little shit._ " There was a mumble from one of the students at how that wasn't French, Danny snickering as he flew over to hover by Andrew, tail flicking in the air and oh, this could be fun. " _Just what do you think you're doing_?"

" _Playing._ " Danny had been chasing a wayward ghost signature, but now that Kitty and Johnny's latest drama was dealt with… "Sorry if I'm interrupting, guys, but I never really get to see him teach, so you might have to put up with me for a bit."

While the students shared looks or just nodded along - one of them looking at him suspiciously - Andrew was frowning - glaring - at him. "You can't just- I can't- You're just-" Making a low, deep noise of frustration in the back of his throat, Danny really did his absolute best to not lick his lips. He rather had the feeling that he failed. "They're testing today so you had better not give them any answers."

"You have my absolute word," Danny purred, honestly purred he was pretty sure - before slipping around to settled on Andrew's desk. Giving a look to the 'gifts', Danny gave a small smirk. " _Heh. I'd like to see them give you Valentine's gifts now_."

"You-" Stifling a laugh as Andrew tangled his fingers in his hair, Danny leaned into the sharp tug on his hair, purrs increasing. " _You're bad for_ _ **my**_ _heart_."

" _I do try my best. Now c'mon, Mr. Riter, teach your class. This is French, after all, not Ghostspeak._ "

" _Brat_." Huffing, Andrew raised an eyebrow at the class. "Well? Why don't you all have your books open? Unless you would like me to make the test  _not_ be open book." Just like that, students around the room were scrambling for what they needed, Danny snickering as he enjoyed the chaos. This was  _so_ worth missing P.E. for. " _We're not finished_."

" _I don't know, I thought we both finished pretty well during lunch._ " Oh, Danny would never get tired of seeing that blush over Andrew's face - or that  _threat_ that simmered in his eyes. " _Although, if you'd rather continue than teach, then I think I can think of something_ -"

"We are in a  _school_!" Oh, now that was interesting. Andrew had been so startled he had snapped back into English. Damn, students were going to draw some conclusions from that, but, well. He was Phantom, right now. Phantom didn't have to hold back like Danny did.

" _Ooh, but when has that ever stopped us before, mon ange_?" Danny moved to hang off of Andrew's back, looking as if everything was normal before pressing a kiss under Andrew's ear and then sneaking a sharp nip to the lobe when Andrew turned around to  _try_ and write on the board. " _C'mon, Andy, it's not like they can even understand what we're saying._ " Snickering, Danny nipped at the skin below a rather impressive bite mark on Andrew's neck. " _Maybe then they'd learn just who you belong to_."

Looking up mildly at hearing the sound of cracking plastic, Danny hummed a little at seeing just how tight a grip Andrew had on his marker, words shaky and uneven instead of his usual crisp, precise writing. Instead of the usual soft green, his eyes were a brilliant purple, as well. " _Mon cher, you really don't want to test me anymore right now_."

" _Maybe I do_." Danny could see Andrew's control fray even more, only a small string holding it all together. Oh, how he'd love to snap that string. Humming in delight, Danny slipped back into the air and innocently nuzzled at Andrew's cheek, pressing a kiss there softly. " _You know, it was nice to prove that you're mine to all of them, but oh…_ " Danny pressed another kiss to Andrew's cheek, near pressing against his lips. " _Oh, it's so nice to remind you, too._ "

" _Re- Really. Here I didn't think you'd have voyeuristic tendencies, of all things._ " Andrew had small tremors running through his shoulders as he let his powers wrap around a stack of test papers, all of them flying out and gently and perfectly settling on the desk in front of the students. His sweet Andy, always so careful around his students. Danny wanted to  _break_ that.

" _I guess you're just forgetting who I am, then._ " Oh, yes, Danny Fenton had once been shy as hell, but Phantom… No, Danny- Danny  _loved_ letting people know just who Andrew belonged to. There was a reason for all his games, after all. " _Andy_." Making his voice pleading and soft, Danny flew over to curl up in Andrew's chair, looking small… Breakable. It was just what he needed to really get under Andrew's skin. " _Voyeuristic isn't quite right, is it? That would imply that I enjoy watching others have sex, you know._ "

Wrapping his tail around him, Danny bit his lip as he tilted his head, " _Although… I think I'd like that if it was you and Randy._ "

"You have until the end of the class to complete your test. Open book and open notes are allowed, but if I catch you cheating then you can say goodbye to your academic career.  _As for_ _ **you**_."

"Hm?" Danny didn't fight it as Andrew tugged the chair over, hands braced against the chair arms and dark purple eyes staring down sharply at him. " _Something wrong, Andy_?"

" _You are trying my patience, Danny_." Ooh, but he loved it, didn't he? His sweet Andy was a teacher, yes, but Danny knew who he had been before. The Priest of Death lived for the thrill and adventure of a chase. This wasn't much different.

" _I am rather good at that._ " Reaching a hand up to cup Andrew's cheek, Danny's grin widened at seeing the man fight back a flinch. " _Ssh, easy, Andy. We're in class, after all._ " The tremors got worse, Danny trying not to lick his lips at the light growl he heard, a flash of wicked sharp teeth showing. " _I really would love to watch that one day, you know._ "

" _You really don't know what you're getting into, Danny_." Humming, Danny let his thumb brush under Andrew's eye, copying the motion that Randy always did for them perfectly. The reaction was instantaneous. Andrew's breath hitched and caught in his throat, eyes wide as he stared at Danny as if  _he_ were the dangerous ghost. Danny liked it.

" _I'm serious. You and Randy… How many years of tension are between you two, now? Twenty? Thirty? How long have you been wanting to be with him, Andy?_ " Danny brought Andrew in close, smiling sweetly at him. This was just another game - albeit a very fun one. " _Was he who you wanted to be your first? You've told me enough that I can guess. That's it, isn't it? When you were younger and just figuring all this out and what you liked, you wanted Randy to be the one to take you aside and… Hm._

" _You would have been okay with him doing anything, huh? He could have tied you down with this sweet scarf and you would have_ _ **begged**_ _for anything he gave you. You still would, wouldn't you?_ " Danny made his voice a soft croon, kissing at Andrew's cheek as the tremors grew worse. " _God, I can barely imagine how beautiful you two would be wrapped up in one another. Randy's so protective and dominant, but, you know, I bet you could get him on his back easily._ "

It was just the smallest of whimpers that slipped out, but to Danny it seemed to be a sound that filled up his entire world. " _Oh… You like that idea. You like the thought of_ _ **him**_ _being the one on his knees before you. The terrifying and fearsome White Fang, brought to kneel at the feet of the Priest of Death. He always did bow before you, didn't he._ "

 _This_ was what Danny had been craving lately. Sure he got to flirt with Andrew during school and classes, but even that had to have lines. When they were home, they were tip-toeing around Randy and each other as if never sure what to do. This, though… Having Andrew shaking in front of him and looking ready to unravel…

Wiggling the chair closer, Danny chastely kissed at the tip of Andrew's nose - if he kissed him properly then these students would be seeing more than he wanted them to. " _I wonder… What would your students say if they could hear what I'm saying right now? Do you think they'd be surprised by all the things you like?_ " The tremors abruptly stopped, Andrew holding himself still and tense. " _C'mon, Andy, we've been together since I was fifteen. I know what you like, by now._ "

Slipping out of the chair, Danny mercifully pushed Andrew down and sat on the edge of the desk instead, tail draping over Andrew's lap. Wouldn't do to have his students see anything...inappropriate. " _First and foremost, I know that you like being controlled_." Oh, it wasn't Andrew Riter that was looking at him anymore. That dark, swirling look in his eyes was nothing but the Priest of Death.

Danny  _loved_ it. It was so rare to see Andrew acting like the Priest of Death - he knew Andrew fell into that roll easily when one of them was in danger or hurt, but… Maybe Danny could get Andrew to see that this side of him wasn't so bad. At least, not when he was being used in more  _constructive_ ways.

" _Ooh, such a dark look, my sweet angel. That's what you told me you were sometimes called, hm? A dark angel of death that sent the sinners home._ " Danny kept his voice soft and warm, quiet so as the students could take their tests in peace - he near forgot they were even there. " _My sweet Priest of Death._ " Danny reached a hand out, fingertips brushing across Andrew's cheek. Not even flinching at how tightly his wrist was grabbed, Danny only gave another smile.

" _You secretly love it, don't you? Maybe not by them - not_ _ **ever**_ _by them - but by me? You like the idea of someone being able to control you because it makes you feel safe. You were so dangerous, Priest. You were the most terrifying of them all, but… You can't hurt anyone, now._ " This was a game, but every word he spoke was the truth. Truth that Andrew often ignored. " _I would stop you._ "

Danny didn't often think on how powerful he was, but… He was one of the strongest ghosts in the Ghost Zone. He was starting to get to the point he was stronger than even Vlad- Hell, he had beat Pariah when he was  _fourteen_. That had to say something about himself.

Feeling the grip around his wrist loosen, Danny smiled and pecked at Andrew's cheek, tail brushing against him. The tremors were back. " _That's right… You wouldn't be able to defeat me- You could never defeat_ _ **me**_ _. Are you more powerful than a man drunk on revenge and fueled by hatred?_ " How many times had he defeated Vlad when he was still so young? Vlad had experience with his powers, yes, but Danny had so much more.

" _Are you more powerful than humans who have dedicated their lives to eradicating our kind?_ " It didn't matter how many ghost hunters had come after Amity Park. Danny Phantom protected them all - ghost and human. " _Are you more powerful than all the ghosts I've beaten?_ " Everyone had their vendetta and Danny had challenged them all, time and time again. " _Oh, Priest. I beat an all-powerful King when I was fourteen._ " He had stood up to all the threats in his life and he had  _won_. He was still here. He was still alive, in a sense. He won. " _Not even your powers kept me trapped for long._ "

Slipping into Andrew's lap, Danny nuzzled under his chin, curling around him loosely. Hiding a smile at the arms that tightly wrapped around him and clutched onto him, Danny shifted to press a soft kiss to Andrew's neck. " _Do you know what I would do if I had Clockwork's ability to stop time?_ "

Leaning back, Danny lightly rested his arms on Andrew's shoulders, looking the man in the eye. God, he seemed  _wrecked_. Danny loved it - he  _loved_ it. " _As soon as the seconds stopped, I would have you on this floor and be fucking into you bare_."

Oh, it was so amusing to watch Andrew shake in his arms, trying his damndest to not let a sound slip out. Always so strong and proper. " _You'd like that, wouldn't you? Hm? I bet you would._ " Danny nuzzled at Andrew's cheek. " _I wouldn't even bother with our clothes- Actually, maybe I would. Shove your clothes off and watch as you wither on the floor from that cold tile pressing into your back. God, you would look so good with my ice on you, too. Maybe I could make enough ice to pin your wrists to the floor. Leave your legs free, maybe, but keep you unable to really move._

" _Would you like that? For me to pin you down and fuck into you raw, not even pausing to let you get used to it. I would, you know. I'd just hold you down and keep going until I made you_ _ **scream**_ _. Ooh, I wonder what your cute little students would think of that, then._ " Those gifts… Just the idea of anyone thinking they had a  _chance_ with Andrew… It rubbed his skin the wrong way. Made him want to prove them all just who he belonged to.

Feeling a hand suddenly cover his mouth, Danny blinked and looked at Andrew -  _properly_ looked at him. Andrew was shaking and trembling in his chair and looked as if he was barely holding on, head tilted down and breath coming out in short, sharp gasps. Frowning, Danny nudged Andrew's head up, pausing as he saw blown pupils that only had a thin ring of purple around the very edges, everything glazed over with unshed tears.

Oh… He had pushed Andrew really far this time, hadn't he? Sneaking a glance back at the class - near all of them looking at their books in utter confusion or having given up entirely - Danny looked back to Andrew. Just how the hell was he… Wait.

There was no sound. Andrew's breaths were filling up the space, but there was no sound of flipping pages or scratching pencils, or even phones being used. Looking back properly, Danny's eyes widened as he shot his gaze to the clock.

Frozen.

"Oh, I'm so thanking Clockwork for this later." Energy gathering under his skin and sparking throughout them, Danny teleported them a short distance away to an empty classroom that wasn't in use. Years of fighting gave Danny the ability to have them on the floor in front of the teacher's desk, Andrew pinned down as ice already started building up on his wrists to properly keep him from moving. Andrew stared up at him with wide eyes, breath completely stopping and full blown panic shining up. "Ssh, listen."

Nothing. Nothing but them. "Timekeepers can be pretty useful, huh?" Clockwork must have seen him doing something momentously stupid - or maybe a future self had asked - begged - for Clockwork to help. "Hey, Andy… There's no one in this world but us, right now."

" _Danny_." Andrew was whining and pleading at once, bucking up against him and pulling on the ice that kept him bound, voice loud and wild and all propriety abandoned.

"Ssh." Danny was shoving at Andrew's clothes at once, grinning as Andrew arched his back off the floor with a sharp cry at the cold tile. That wouldn't do. Straddling Andrew's hips, Danny pushed him down and kept him down, grinning as the cry got louder. "I've got you, Andy, I've got you."

God, it was so rare to see Andrew's proper behavior so torn to shreds like this. Instead of the severe, responsible adult he tried to be, Andrew was acting like Danny usually might, struggling and whining and doing anything to get friction between them.

"Hey, Priest." Danny kept the man pinned down by the hips, licking at his lips as he watched the man turn to look at him with burning red eyes. "Remember what I said?" Strengthening the ice, Danny leaned down to just barely brush his lips over Andrew's. "Try to escape."

" _You're going to regret that, sweet one._ " Andrew's voice was dark and full of wicked promise, Danny grinning as he felt heated energy swirl in the air around him. " _You can't keep me pinned._ "

"Let's find out, then, Priest." Purring quietly, Danny completely let go of his control on his own powers, jerking Andrew into a sharp, brutal kiss. "There wouldn't be any fun if it was easy, after all."

Danny would focus all of his attentions on Randy tonight, but right now… Well, it'd be no good to waste a moment of frozen time like this. Besides, he needed to remind  _both_ of them that they belonged to each other.

He had a feeling Andrew wouldn't mind the reminder.


	39. Chapter 39

Bonjour, mes chers! My, my, it has been a while, hasn't it? My absolute apologies for taking so long when it came to uploading this, but I've been caught up in both school and work.

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at [ibelieveinahappilyeverafter ](http://ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20substitute)as well!

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Nine**

::

"And… There!" Randy scrubbed at his cheek with the back of his hand, grinning at the countless trays of truffles and chocolates he had spread out around the kitchen. "What do you think, Vidya? Look good?" One of the spoons he had set out lifted into the air, Randy suppressing a chuckle. "Danny and Liz really were clever to think of using doors."

Considering the kitchen didn't have any doors, Vidya and Randy had settled on spoons for yes and knives for no. It wasn't perfect, but it seemed to work well enough. "Yeah, I think they might like some of these." Looking around the kitchen again, Randy felt his smile drop a little as he rubbed at his cheek again. "Should probably start wrapping these up so they don't spoil. It'll be a while before they get home."

Which, really, it made sense. While there may have been something between all three of them, it was still Danny and Andrew at the end of the day who were mates. Nudging at one of the spoons, Randy sighed. Who was he kidding himself. Lairs could only be understand by the ghost who owned them and that ghost's mate. He'd never hear Vidya, just like Andrew and Danny would never hear Liz. He was fooling himself into thinking that… For a while, though, it had really felt like…

Randy had always been on the outside. That's just how it was - how it should be. Leaning against the counter and tilting his head back, Randy indulged a little on what it might be like if Andrew and Danny had chosen to spend the day with hi- With each other, at Vidya, instead of outside.

Andrew would probably be trying to make as many cookies as possible, arguing with Randy about following recipes and trying to find clear counter space that hadn't already been taken over. No doubt Danny would be flying around the kitchen and 'taste testing' every sweet thing he could get his fingers on, complimenting each and every one but doubling back to try another because he had to be  _sure_ they were perfect. Wouldn't want to be wrong, after all, right?

Andrew would be swatting at Danny with a spatula, trying to keep him away from all the fresh sweets - failing, but trying - and Danny would laugh and stick his tongue out before hiding behind Randy. Once there, he'd probably notice all the flour on Randy's cheek and make some lame joke like- "What? You aren't ghostly enough already?"

Eyes snapping open, Randy could only stare at seeing Danny floating in front of him, hand rubbing gently at the cheek that was covered in stray bits of flour. Behind him, Andrew was tsking at the state of the kitchen, stealing chocolates from every other tray. "Honestly, Randy, if I knew you were going to destroy my kitchen then I would have had Vidya keep a closer eye on you- Why are you waving spoons in my face!"

"Maybe she's just tired of your shit," Danny snickered, ducking a butter knife tossed at his head. "Love you too, Vids! Seriously, Randy, you're absolutely covered in flour- What were you making that required you to use this much flour?"

They were here… The both of them. Instead of spending time together without Randy uselessly butting in and tagging on, they were there  _in front of him_. Danny's hand was warm on his cheek - warm even with the ice core that pulsed inside of him - and smiling at him and looking so fond and  _fuck_ -

Randy was moving before he could even stop to register what he was doing, hands cupping Danny's cheeks and lips harshly pressing against his own. Fuck.  _Fuck_. He had been trying so damn hard to keep on the fringes and it was just some silly little thing- It was supposed to just be them and Randy. Separate. It wasn't- They weren't- " _Fuck_.  _Fuck_ , you two."

Danny was clutching onto his wrists and staring up at him with wide, blown pupils, mouth slightly agape and features utterly ghostly. A sharp breath shot through his lungs, Randy hearing the air rattling inside- Fuck, fuck, everything was so fucking much. He could hear and feel everything and it was so warm and fond and safe and he could just drown in all of this- "Who said you could stop?"

Drowning. It was as simple as drowning. Kissing Danny felt like it was the easiest thing in the world. All of their games and teasing and pushing each other closer and closer to the edge and Randy had never really thought it would seriously go anywhere, but… Falling. It wasn't drowning, but…

It was falling.

The two had barely parted before Randy found himself shoved up against the wall, wrists pinned in a familiar grip and warm breath becoming the very air he was breathing. " _Randy_." Oh. Oh, that wasn't Andrew. That wasn't his sweet little Andy. Danny had to have riled Andrew up something fierce if it was the Priest who was pinning him against the wall.

Breaking the hold, Randy had his fingers tangled in Andrew's shirt and was jerking him forward in an instant, kissing him deeply and nipping at his bottom lip sharply enough that he tasted a bit of blood- Not blood, not anymore, it wasn't blood, it was far too sweet for that, far too- God- Fuck-  _Fuck_ , why had he ever been trying to stop this from happening? Hearing a quiet noise, Randy parted to see Danny looking at the two of them with wide eyes, the color of his eyes swirling between sharp greens and brilliant blues and looking so- "Oh, please. Don't stop on my account."

Fuck. He was so in over his head with these two. He couldn't find it within him to even try to offer an explanation when Andrew was pushing up against him and Danny was getting closer with that wicked smirk on his face. "Randy." Andrew tugged at his shirt, cheeks flushed and eyes a bright purple that almost looked glazed with red. " _Randy_."

He was in over his head with these two and it was  _perfect_.

::

"So, what was that about 'waiting for the perfect moment'?" Andrew was curled up in his lap with his arms loosely braced across his shoulders, lips moving against his neck and switching between little kisses and nips. Randy shivered at each and every one, having been purring quietly ever since they had settled down.

"I was, but then you two had to go and ruin it," Randy scolded, stifling a laugh as he felt Danny nuzzle at his back where he was curled up behind him. None of them had really wanted to let go so they somehow ended up on the couch with Randy in the middle and utterly drowning in all of the sweetness that was coming off of the two. "Months of planning and effort and you ruin it all with a joke."

"Hey, let's just be grateful I never confessed to either of you with a pun," Danny laughed, wiggling his way up to wrap around Randy's shoulders as well, nuzzling at the back of his head. Randy tried not to tense up, pushing Andrew's head down when he saw the smirk. "Although I think that's how I came out to Andy."

"It was." Oh, Randy was not even surprised by that. "Mon cher, you should try right behind his-" Oh. Oh, it was  _so wonderful_ to be able to quiet Andrew with a kiss. Addicting. It was addicting to pull him closer, palm rubbing at that scratching jaw and tongue running over wicked sharp points that drew droplets of blood - what was close enough to blood - from himself. It didn't surprise him in the least that this riled Andrew up even more, the younger pushing closer and-

"Hey, keep it up and you're going to knock all of us off the couch." Danny's 'scolding' had them reluctantly breaking apart, Randy delighting in Andrew's bright flush. "Sorry, Randy, I might have been a bit cruel to him today."

"Oh? How so?" Rubbing his palm at Andrew's jaw and cheek some more, Randy pulled him close, indulging in touching and kissing him as much as he could. He had so much to make up for.

"I fucked him in an empty classroom while his students took a French test." It took a moment for the words to truly sink in, meaning lost on Randy for far longer than he would have liked. Danny's breathing and pulse were utterly calm - well, calm enough seeing at how riled up they all were - and his smile was wide and bright.

"You aren't kidding." Looking down to Andrew, Randy raised his eyebrows and gave a very judging look, suppressing every desire and urge to burst out into laughter.

"Time was stopped!"

"You had Clockwork, Master of Time, pause time just so he could fuck you during class?" God, why was that not even surprising him? Then again, Danny was the idiot who had fought the Ghost King when he was just fourteen.

"Probably saw us doing something really stupid," Danny hummed, sounding distracted as he kissed at Randy's neck, biting sharply. This time, Randy didn't even try to stop the moan that built up low in his throat. Why should he? Danny knew what he was doing - oh, he very much knew what he was doing. "Ooh, you really aren't holding back, are you?"

"I feel I should say something about going slow." Blinking at Andrew, Randy barely registered the words before he was pulled into a another kiss. "We've been going slow for months, though."

"Dude, we've been  _dating_ for months." Wha- They had not-! "Randy.  _Randy_. C'mon, you know we have been."

"Maybe a little bit." Feeling lips near his neck again, Randy huffed and reached a hand back to sharply tug at Danny's hair, pleased at the quiet noise he heard. "That's really not helping me to keep a clear head."

"Who says we want you to have a clear head?" Andrew wiggled in just the right way to have Randy cursing his very existence for a moment before Andrew was kissing at Randy's cheek. "This time, dear one, none of your excuses are going to work."

"And just who-" Biting his lip as Danny nuzzled at the back of his head again, Randy quickly shoved Andrew's head down with another huff. "And just  _who_ says that I want to even come up with an excuse?"

"So you're not regretting throwing me against the wall-"

"I did not  _throw_ you-"

"-and pinning me down to where I couldn't move-"

"That was what Andy did to me, I did not-"

"-and  _stealing_ our first kiss before I could even  _try_ to struggle-"

"How do I shut him up?" Randy tried to not laugh like Andrew was, grin tugging on his lips anyway. "Andy, c'mon, I need to shut him up here."

"I'm afraid I have yet to find a way to accomplish that, although I can distract his attentions elsewhere." With that, Andrew pulled out one of the sweets Randy had baked, waving it in front of Danny's face. Not even a second later and the two were on the floor, Danny pinning Andrew to the floor and munching on his hardwon treat.

"You're right, that seems very effective." Leaning down, Randy indulged in cupping Danny's cheek and rubbing his thumb under the eye, raising an eyebrow when both Danny and Andrew looked at him in a very focused way. "Oh? And just what is all that about?"

"Nothing." Danny pressed into the touch, some of his manic energy leaving as a quiet purr built up inside him. "I wasn't expecting you to break today, you know."

"That's because I wasn't supposed to." Unable to keep away for longer than a minute, it seemed, Randy was on the floor beside them with his legs hooked over Andrew's lap and Danny sitting in his own. "Not even I thought I was cliche enough to break on  _Valentine's Day_."

"It was the heart-shaped pancakes that did it," Andrew said, looking quite serious about the matter. "You have no one but yourself to blame."

"No, what did it was you two coming back." They weren't… He always thought it would be them and Randy. It wasn't ever supposed to feel like all  _three_ of them. "You weren't supposed to come back."

"Randy." This time it was Danny's hand against his cheek, the teen copying the rubbing motion perfectly. "We're always going to come back for you."

"Just like how you would always come back for us." Andrew had shifted so he was now pressed up against Randy's side, hand twining with his own. "It may have started as Danny and I, but now it's all of us."

"Get it?" Danny bumped his nose against Randy's, Randy unable to withhold a laugh at the action. "Things are still gonna be pretty weird and awkward for a while, maybe, but it's the three of us in it together."

"So whatever foolish notions you have in your head you had better get rid of." Okay, both of them were now sitting in his lap. Randy was very upset that he only hugged them both close, still drowning in the feelings and sensations coming off of the two. "Like Danny said, it's the three of us."

"Andy, Danny…" Randy laughed, hiding his face against Andrew's chest and shaking his head. "How long have you two been rehearsing that one?"

"Don't ruin the moment-"

"Oh, man, so long. We've had most of this planned out since before  _Christmas_ -"

"Danny!"

Randy couldn't help it. He had been destined to fall from the beginning. It was always going to be the three of them and… That was- It was just- ...For now, for this day and this moment, everything was absolutely…

Perfect.

::

::


	40. Chapter 40

Bonjour, mes chers! Some news and updates for you all and 4.5k words to make up for such a long absence! First of all, in regards to the story itself, I've done some calculations, and, well... The story is probably 35-40% of the way done as of this chapter. Things are going to start picking up pace, though, because we have quite a bit of plot to get through - not to worry though, mes chers, you'll still have your cute OT3 moments, don't you fret. I predict another 150-200k for this story before it reaches it's end so we have quite a bit longer together. Hopefully you won't get bored of me until then.

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at [ibelieveinahappilyeverafter ](http://ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20substitute)as well!

Warnings for: some references to sexual situations - nothing is explicit but be on guard for a lot of this chapter if anything sexual makes you go 'Mm, better not'.

* * *

**Chapter Forty**

::

"You look like a puppy." Glancing over to where Andrew was very obviously trying not to laugh, Danny looked down to himself to see he was leaning over the back of the couch and very eagerly looking over to where he had heard Vidya's doors open. "An over excited and eager puppy who can't wait for his master to get home."

"Ooh, that sounds fun." Licking his lips, Danny had to fight the urge to laugh at Andrew's expression. "Then again, it  _is_ Randy who wears that collar of his…"

"That's because Andy gave it to me." Shooting up, Danny beamed at seeing Randy standing in front of- Holy shit he looked like hell. "I look that bad then, huh?"

"You look like you lost a fight with a  _sandstorm_." Darting into the air, Danny flew around Randy in sharp little circles, inspecting him for any open wounds. God knew Randy never seemed to notice his own wounds when he got home from a job. And he thought Danny was bad with this stuff! "Wait, Andy got you that?"

"When he was younger than you," Randy smirked, looking over to where Andrew was honest to god  _blushing_. And here Danny thought the day couldn't have gotten any better.

"Your whole persona was about being a feral wolf, of course I thought a collar would suit you!" Withholding a laugh, Danny wrapped himself around Randy's shoulders, nuzzling at his cheek.

"Mhm. So you put a collar on a feral wolf?" As the blush got worse, Danny really  _did_ laugh. "That was the whole thing about you guys though, right? The Priest of Death taming the wicked White Fang?"

"Brats, the both of you." Andrew shut his laptop with an angry little snap before standing up and walking over to them, Danny laughing again as Andrew cupped Randy's cheeks and pulled him into a not-so-innocent kiss before parting with a sly little grin. "Welcome home."

"You killed him." Randy's entire face was lit up with white, the man stunned into pure silence before he was  _grinning_ and gripping Andrew by the front of his shirt, pulling him back into a kiss that was  _very_ not-so-innocent. Danny let go with a wide grin and sat down on the back of the couch, happily watching the two.

"I'm glad to be home," Randy's voice was a near  _purr_ , the man smirking and letting Andrew go with a last kiss to the corner of his lips. "I'll start on dinner after my shower."

"Have fun," Danny laughed, enjoying Andrew's flustered face far too much. "Did we learn something about playing with fire?"

"Would it be wrong of me to follow him into the shower?" Andrew leaned against the back of the couch beside him, sighing as dramatically as Danny usually did. "Is it just me or does this all feel…"

"Incredibly natural?" It wasn't just Andrew, that was for sure. "Like I said, we've been dating for  _months_ now."

"We have, haven't we?" Squirming as he was wrapped up in a sudden hug, Danny tilted his head back to see Andrew smiling down at him with a warm, pleased smile. "It's only going to get better, isn't it?"

"Definitely." Wiggling around a bit more, Danny tackled Andrew back onto the couch, jarring them both before Danny was pulling him into a sweet kiss. "Much, much better."

Distracted as they were, they didn't realize how long it had been until Vidya was plucking away in their heads, a nervous little tune that contained a few notes of what sounded like near glee. Andrew was the first to speak, Danny holding back a smile at seeing the man automatically look up to the ceiling. "He… He lost his contacts in the sink?"

"I'm gonna be honest, I'm not even-" Danny shot up, ignoring the yelp Andrew gave since Danny had been lying on top of him. "Does that mean he's wearing glasses right now?!" Danny barely waited for Vidya's confirmation before he was zooming into the air and flying down the halls with as much speed as he could gather, following after Randy's signature before he was barging into the bathroom.

Randy didn't even look startled at the noise, merely glaring at the mirror and oh… Oh, god… "If I hear one laugh from you then I'm locking you away in the dungeons at Liz." Glasses. Randy was- Glasses-  _His hair_. "Stop staring."

"You can't blame him." Oh, Andrew was here, that was nice. Danny was a bit more distracted by the fact that Randy's hair without any product in it was actually made of  _curls_. "I think this is the first time he's seen your hair before you style it."

"There's a reason I style it, you know." Wait… Wait, wait, wait. Floating in front of Randy in what had probably been a show of teleportation, Danny cupped Randy's cheeks and stared at him. "You're starting to concern me, you know."

"Let me get this straight." Pft, 'straight'. Aha- Focus, Danny. This was  _important_ dammit. "You can do complex equations and calculations in your head, you wear dorky plastic glasses, and you have hair that  _curls_." The second Randy tried to pull away, Danny tightened his hold and pulled him close. "And you never  _told_ me?"

"He's the son of scientists, Randy, you really should have expected this." When Randy opened his mouth to argue, Danny was pressing forward in a swift, aggressive kiss, lips twitching into a grin as their glasses knocked together for a second. Sucking on the man's bottom lip for a moment, Danny gave it a sharper nip than he probably should have before he suddenly found himself pressed against the wall, Randy kissing back with a lot more enthusiasm.

Distracted as he was, it took a moment for Danny to notice one of his hands was grabbed from where he had thrown his arms around Randy's neck. Cracking an eye open just a slit, he saw Andrew give a gleeful grin as he nudged and pulled at Danny's hand so it was curled in some of Randy's curls. Danny was all too happy to play along, giving a light tug to the soft locks before shuddering at the moan that tore out of Randy's throat as they parted.

"Oh, hell yes." Not allowing Randy to even try to get away, Danny gave another sharp tug to the man's hair as he jerked Randy back down. He was  _so_ thanking Andrew later.

::

"I wouldn't touch that one if I were you." Randy didn't even have to look up to know that Andrew was in front of him. The man's footsteps were more familiar than his own, at this point. "What do you notice?"

"They're perfectly sculpted to your guns and made to withstand large amounts of ectoplasmic energy." Ah, for as much as Andrew loved teaching he loved playing the student just as much. "You still handcraft all your bullets?"

"Of course. The average ones never fit my guns quite right, you know that." Inspecting the latest bullet he had crafted, Randy looked up to see Andrew was kneeling in front of him, eyes sharply taking in all the details on the tray of bullets already made. "What else do you notice?"

"They're glowing." Andrew squinted at one of them, Randy trying not to laugh as the man's nose scrunched up in thought. Even with time and death there were some things that would just never change, he supposed. "Did you soak these in one of those concoctions of yours?"

"Says the mad alchemist." Dropping the newest bullet into the case, Randy tapped at one with the tip of his gloved fingers. "What ghostly plant glows red, Andy?"

"Blood blossoms." The words were little more than a whisper of breath, Andrew's eyes widening as his grin grew. "You made more blood blossom bullets."

"Tricky, but doable." Peeling his gloves off, Randy tossed them aside and shut the case tightly, tucking it away to the side. "With everything that's been going on lately, I figured it couldn't hurt to have a little reassurance."

"Do you have bullets soaked in things other than blood blossoms, then? You used to soak some of them in poisons, didn't you? Hell, you made  _my_ poisons!"

"That's because you didn't have as much patience back then," Randy grinned, cupping Andrew's chin and pulling him forward in a light kiss that just barely allowed their lips to catch on each other's. "Although, it could be argued that you still don't have any now."

"I think that would be Danny who doesn't have any patience," Andrew grumbled, looking very upset that Randy had dared to pull away. It was adorable. "You didn't answer my question."

"Yes, I soak them in ghostly plants other than blood blossoms, although blood blossoms are the ones I make the most of." Digging around, Randy grabbed one of his bullets and tossed it to Andrew, laughing as the man scrambled with it before managing to get a hold of it. So dangerous and crafty with his knives but so clumsy with everything else. "What do you notice about that one?"

"Hand carved, twisted edges-" Andrew paused, narrowing his eyes and rolling it around before looking to Randy with utter confusion. "Is this hollow?"

"It is, actually." Catching it as it was tossed back, Randy held it between his thumb and forefinger, allowing his energy to pour into it before he made the energy  _solid_. "Packs a little bit of an extra punch."

Fitting it into a cartridge, Randy quickly loaded his gun before glancing around the corner of the garden he was, finding a rock that would do quite nicely. Aiming his gun for only a second, Randy fired and grinned as a hole the size of his head was punched through the rock. Hm, he'd have to replace that rock, probably.

"Crafting a few hollow bullets allows me to put solid ectoplasm of my own inside and give it the effect of a miniature bomb depending on how I use and fire the energy. The moment I disconnect it, though, I only have thirty seven seconds before it explodes without any further prompting, the firing of the gun spending that time up to a fifth of a second. Good for close range shots, but anything further away and it would explode in midair before it managed to reach the target."

As he spoke, Randy easily disassembled his gun and went through general check up, cleansing and pulling out the energy of his that he could feel lingering. "I have to be careful to clean by guns between these bullets and other ones, though. Too many kinds of energy mixing in the guns could have some very negative consequences and-"

Randy didn't even get to finish before he grunted as his back hit the ground and lips were pressed up against his own. It was less the kiss that had him shuddering and more the wave of emotions that he could almost  _feel_ coming off of Andrew. Really, Randy was all too happy to relax into the kiss and pull Andrew even closer. The feeling of fingers hooking into the front of his collar had him pulling back with a sharp whine, whole body arching and leaning into the pull.

"You have  _no idea_." Ooh, that wasn't sweet little Andy that was talking anymore. Another harsh tug to the collar had him choking back more noises, Randy cracking his eyes open - when had he closed them? - to see that Andrew was licking his lips, a bright red taking over the color of his eyes. "You have no idea how many times I've wanted to do something like this when I saw you so in your element."

"I think I can guess now." Randy's voice was little more than panting breaths connected together, skin feeling like it was on fire everywhere that Andrew touched him. "Seeing me do gun maintenance turns you on that much?"

"Mm." Andrew licked his lips in a very obscene manner, Randy's attention caught on the sharp teeth before he felt a fluttering little kiss pressed against his neck, muscles tensing. He knew what was coming. "Seeing you so focused and intent with none of those little tricks you use to hide yourself… How could I not be utterly captivated?"

Oh. Ooh, Randy was  _so_ in over his head with these two. Feeling the teeth just barely grazing across the weakest point of his neck, Randy shook on the ground and harshly bit his lip. He supposed he wasn't going to be finishing his gun maintenance today. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to really mind all that much.

::

"Remember how we said everything feels really natural?" Pausing in his typing, Andrew glanced up to where Danny was sitting on the armrest, looking down at him. "Like, with all three of us?"

"Yes?" Andrew didn't have a good feeling about this. Maybe he could ignore the conversation… No, no, that would be immature of him. Then again, Danny was always encouraging him to 'act his age'. Mm… He'd keep it in mind for later. "Does it no longer-"

"No, no, it all still feels really natural. Like, disturbingly natural. Like, so natural that I have a problem to deal with that I didn't expect to have to deal with or know how to deal with." Narrowing his eyes, Andrew looked up again to see that Danny was blushing and had his hands fisted in the ends of his shirt and- Ah. "It's a big problem."

"You want him to ruthlessly fuck you and you have no idea how to accomplish it?" Seeing the blush get worse, Andrew closed his laptop and set it aside before opening his arms. Danny was burrowing his way into Andrew's lap at once, low whine slipping out of him. Poor thing. Andrew felt his pain. "There there, mon cher. I understand where you're coming from."

"You too, huh?" Mm. It was possible that there were still a few things that hadn't quite been resolved between the three of them. "Do you think he's just embarrassed, that  _we're_ actually embarrassed, or that he thinks that's moving too fast, or maybe that it's just an us thing and not a together thing, or-"

"How much thought have you put into this?" Covering the teen's mouth before he could answer again, Andrew shook his head. He needed to learn from his mistakes when it came to figuring out how Danny's mind worked. "Nevermind, I'm sure you have a dozen more reasons ready to list. Have you tried discussing this with Randy?" Not that Andrew had, but, well… Danny was the more headstrong of the two of them. He also bounced back much quicker.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't even get two words out before I died of embarrassment!" ...What? Was he- Looking down at Danny to see if he was honestly serious- He was. Danny was honestly-

"Do I need to remind you that you pinned me down with ghostly ice and fucked me in an empty classroom after riling me up to hell and back. And this was all while my  _students_ were taking a  _test_  on  _Valentine's Day_." Oh, now he blushed. Where was this sense of shame before? "Danny."

"I might've been a bit jealous at the time…" Jeal- Oh. Ooh. The chocolates and letters… Hm. Danny had been acting rather strange at the time, now that he thought about it with a clear head. It almost reminded Andrew of how a ghost would act when their obsession was threatened- Wait. Did that mean- "The point is that I  _need_ to  _know_ because I don't want to push him into anything, you know? I mean- I mean! When was the last time he was even with somebody!"

"That… That is a good question, mon cher." He honestly wasn't sure, now that he took the time to think about it. Hm. Oh well, it wasn't like it was all that important. "Does it matter?"

"Yes- No- Only that I don't want to push him if it's been a while, I guess? I don't- Why are you making me doubt myself?"

"It's something I am very good at." Patting at Danny's head, Andrew watched the teen bury his way against him to try and hide his blush. It was adorable. "I believe this will be another one of those things that will happen in time."

"Please stop sounding like Clockwork." Laughing at that, Andrew bundled Danny close before standing up, not at all surprised when Danny adjusted to wrap around him. His poor little halfa… Andrew could feel how tense the teen was as he clung to him and could hear the pounding of his heart and core both. Even the general chill of his skin was being chased out by the warmth and heat that creeped upon him. Really, was Andrew ever supposed to resist? "Where are we going?"

"Well, being the loving and caring mate I am, I thought that perhaps I could distract your attentions elsewhere for the time being." It only took a second for the words to click, Andrew knowing right when they did by how Danny shifted against him. Honestly, such a little brat.

"Oh? And just how are you going to distract me, Andy?" Shameless little  _brat_. Andrew was half certain his embarrassment before had been just an act to try and get more answers out of him. He was so proud.

"Mm, I think I'll make it a surprise. You like surprises, don't you, mon cher?"

"Oh, very much."

"Lovely."

::

"You know, I have a feeling that your glaring is really you trying to communicate with me and ask me what I'm doing. I'm good at understanding glares. Lot of practice and all that." There was a moment where Danny was pretty sure Randy would laugh if he could before Danny suddenly found his hands grabbed, Randy squirming away so Danny was no longer holding his mouth open.

"I'm really curious for the explanation that explains why I suddenly had your fingers shoved in my mouth when I was doing nothing but innocently reading." Did he have an explanation? Danny was pretty sure he didn't have one of those. He had better just act cute.

"Did you not like it?" Tilting his head, Danny let his bangs flutter over his eyes for a few moments before- A sharp poke to his side had him letting out a wild, startled laugh. "Hey!"

"Don't be cute so you don't have to answer the question. Seriously, why? Is this a new kink of yours I have to worry about?"

"Please." Scoffing, Danny shifted so he was straddling Randy's thighs, enjoying the slight widening of the man's eyes. "You don't even know my kinks."

"Oh?" Shit. Shit, Danny could already hear- "Est-ce vrai, mon douce?"  _Shit_. Okay, granted Danny was kind of obvious, but it was hardly his fault when it came out of nowhere and he wasn't expecting it and- His thoughts disappeared as Randy jerked him forward so their hips were tightly pressed against each other, a hand slipping under his shirt to press down hard at the lower part of his spine in such a way that had Danny arching sharply, a  _moan_ slipping out of him before he could stop it.

Slapping the hand that wasn't trapped over his face to try and hide  _some_ of the blush, Danny glared down at Randy. The man's smirk could only be called  _sinful_. "That was mean."

"Somehow, I think you'll forgive me." Damn him for being right. "Come on, Danny. Why were so curious about my mouth, hm?"

"Curiosity for the sake of curiosity?" There was a little hum from Randy, the man shifting his position and causing Danny to quickly bite his cheek and focus on as many sad thing as he could before he embarrassed himself. "Ah- Okay, okay! Fangs! I was curious if you have fangs!"

"Really? That's all?" Randy blinked, stopping his  _cruel_ motions and finally letting Danny's other hand free. "You could have just asked."

"Yeah, but… The other way was more fun." Taking the tug to his hair with grace, Danny poked at Randy's cheek with a little grin. "Since you insist, though, will you show me your teeth."

"Why are you so caught up on whether or not I have fangs?  _You_ have fangs and Andy might as well as have goddamn shark teeth." Randy opened his mouth anyways as soon as he finished talking, Danny gleefully cupping his cheeks and tilting his head up so he could get a better view. It was hard to find something better than what he saw, though.

Randy had his head tilted back and just barely to the side, one eye closed and the other slit open to show the deep blue that had first captured Danny's notice. His mouth was wide open and gave Danny some not so clean thoughts. He was at least able to distract himself by seeing that Randy did indeed have fangs. Both his canines - like Danny's - were sharper and tapered into a point that no doubt made it easy to pierce skin. That would be something to keep in mind. Interesting enough, though, his bottom canines looked the same.

"Huh…" Tilting Randy's head a bit more, Danny leaned a little closer. "I only have the two fangs." Randy's molars were a little sharper, too. In fact, a lot of his teeth were. "You know, your teeth kind of remind me of dog teeth." Or wolf teeth.

"A lot of physical appearance traits can change when we become ghosts." Oh, now Danny  _really_ knew what books meant when they said a character had a 'sharp' smile. "You don't seem to mind."

"I've been dealing with Andrew and his 'shark teeth', as  _you_ put it, for years. Why do you think I always wear the scarf?" Danny blinked as Randy's look changed to something… It was darker. The way the man licked his lips had Danny shuddering, but it sure as hell wasn't from anything like fear. "Randy?"

"You have, haven't you?" Jesus. Randy's voice could be called nothing  _but_ a purr, the man pulling Danny tight against him as he leaned forward, nosing at the skin that was only just hidden by the scarf that was quickly being pushed out of the way. "Then… I guess you wouldn't mind if I gave you a few more reasons to wear this pretty scarf of yours."

"Oh  _hell_ yes." That was all the agreement Randy needed before he was cupping the back of Danny's neck and pulling him in close, Danny not even trying to hide his whine as he felt the breathing right against the pulse of his neck. Goddamn Riters and their need to draw everything out and make him  _want_ -

Oh,  _fuck_. There was no gentle kissing or even teasing like Andrew would sometimes do. It was just a sharp, harsh bite that sunk through his skin and had him arching and bucking his hips against Randy as the sensation rocked through him. He was used to Andrew's teeth well enough but these felt so  _different_  and Randy's fangs were a hell of a lot sharper and longer than his own and it felt so  _good_ -

"Ooh, you like that, don't you." Shuddering from where the teeth had left his skin with a wet noise, Danny whimpered as Randy's tongue lapped at the spot with small flicks. Andrew had said that things would come naturally but  _fuck_  it was so hard to remember that when everything felt like  _this_. "I'll have to keep that in mind."

He was so in over his head but damn if he wasn't going to enjoy this moment for all it was worth. Besides, he had been arounds ghosts for years and been with Andrew almost just as long. He knew how this worked. Shifting his hips against Randy's with a sharp press, Danny tilted his neck to where the scarf slipped away to reveal the spot that hadn't been bitten. "Randy." Ghosts were  _possessive_ and they just  _loved_ letting people know what was theirs. There was no way Danny wasn't using that to his advantage. "Make them know I belong to you, too."

Oh? Danny had never seen  _Randy's_ eyes go red. He would have to keep that in mind. For now, though, he was very much going to enjoy his sweet wolf.

::

"Oh? Here I thought I had been teaching high school students. It seems I've been in a primary school all this time, instead." In all honesty, Andrew was a little flattered that his students were so upset about the fact that he would no longer be teaching French. "You've known for months that Mrs. Flores was going to get back from her maternity leave in March."

"Yeah, but- But back then we hadn't even known she was  _pregnant_." Withholding a laugh, Andrew shook his head as he began writing the day's lesson on the board. He was a bit proud that a few students were complaining  _in_ French.

" _You look like a proud parent_." Hearing the quiet, barely whispered comment, Andrew glanced back to see Danny was watching him with nothing but fondness. He was really going to miss teaching Danny when he finally graduated from this school. At least he got him for some of his senior year classes.

" _Of course. They're learning quickly, don't you think? Besides, I think I deserve to feel pride after how much I've taught you. You could pass for a native if you wanted._ "

" _Yeah, one from the eighties_." Alright, so maybe a few things Andrew and Randy had taught him were a little outdated, but Randy's at least was up to modern par! Hm. Maybe Andrew should travel to France for a few weeks and catch up on things… Ooh, maybe he could take Danny- The teen's spring break was coming up, soon. Right. Andrew would need to remember to pass the idea by Randy soon. " _Stop overthinking, my angel, you've stopped writing_."

"Oh." Andrew blinked before shaking his thoughts back into their proper place and finishing up the lesson. Capping the marker and turning back to the class, Andrew almost laughed as he saw how disappointed they all looked. "How about a deal, then? I'm sure you'll spread this around the school for me, too."

"What kind of a deal?" Bless Tucker for looking so suspicious. Danny's friends knew him so well, at this point. He should probably make a note to screw with them later.

"For those of you who took this class you'll get extra credit in Creative Writing whenever you manage to work grammatically correct French into your work. It has to be productive to the story, though! No throwing it in there just to get the extra points."

"Extra credit?" Honestly. Those two words might as well have been the equivalent of Andrew opening a bag of food in front of some hungry strays. "Seriously?"

"Yes, 'seriously'. That is not today, however. Today we have a lesson to get through and tomorrow you'll greet Mrs. Flores with fake smiles and be polite. Understood?"

"Oui." At the classwide response, Andrew had to fight to not laugh or shudder. He still wasn't sure on how he felt about classwide responses. "Good. Now, books out and eyes forward. I'm going to make you all at least be able to carry a basic conversation before the day is out."

The school year may have begun drawing to an end, but that didn't mean that Andrew couldn't enjoy the time that was left while he could. He was happy with his job, he was getting stronger for whatever threats came their way, and he had his two mates- Mates…

That sounded rather nice.


	41. Chapter 41

Bonjour, mes chers! Sorry for such a long stretch between updates. I don't have much of an excuse beyond I got World of WarCraft back and I've been feeling dead when it comes to writing. Here is 3.5k words to make up for it, however! Enjoy!

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at ibelieveinahappilyeverafter as well!

Warnings for: sexual situations between Randy and Andrew

* * *

**Chapter Forty One**

::

"Hey, Clockwork!" Danny poked his head into the tower of the Clock Citadel, looking around curiously. It always seemed like the number of clocks hanging on the walls were changing. "Your favorite person in all the worlds is here!"

"I didn't know Danielle was visiting today." That was just… That was mean and brilliant and Danny was equal parts offended and proud. "I told you things would work out."

"Hey! I didn't come here to have a subtle 'I told you so' dropped in cryptic hints that I don't understand until I'm home." Flying towards the time mirrors Danny didn't even pause as he near crashed into Clockwork's back, clinging around his shoulders once he settled. "Hi."

"Hello." Clockwork seemed amused more than anything else, gaze going from the mirrors to Danny. "Are you only here to interfere with my work, then?"

"You work?" The dry, sarcastic 'ha' made it very hard to keep a straight face. "I actually came here to thank you, you know."

"Of course I knew." Mhm. "What am I being thanked for?"  _Knew it_! "You're looking very smug right now, Daniel. It's not a good look for you."

"So says the 'Master of All Time'." The light tap to his head from the staff was worth it, definitely. "I wanted to thank you for pausing time at school the other day. It, ah, it was very much appreciated." Especially since Danny had been about to do something very, very stupid if time  _hadn't_ stopped. "I promise that I'll do my best to make sure it never why are you looking at me like that?"

"When… When did I stop time at your school?" Oh. Danny did not like that confused look. Not one bit.

"Valentine's Day. You stopped it on Valentine's Day during fifth period when Andrew was teaching a French class." The confused look didn't leave. "Ri- Right? I didn't just jeopardize all of space and time by telling you that before you needed to know you did it, did I?"

"I doubt you destroyed the universe seeing as we're still here, but the fact remains I have no memory of doing so. Perhaps it's merely something I've not yet done," Clockwork shrugged, Danny reassured at seeing he didn't look very worried about the matter. "I'll just bring up the moment-"

"No!" Danny was in front of the mirrors at once, arms outstretched as if he could stop Clockwork from seeing it that way. The look he was given was very judging. "I mean, um, do you- Do you really need to  _see_ -"

"What did you do." Oh. Okay. That wasn't a question. Right, stay strong, Danny, it was just the master of time and the mentor who you saw as another father. Nothing to worry about. "Daniel."

"In my defense I had to show them just who Andy belonged to." Okay, it didn't sound much better when he said it like that. "Not that I think I  _own_ him or anything, I just- There were all these Valentine gifts and letters and chocolates- I didn't care about the ones who meant well but the ones who  _wanted him_ were so fucking annoying and I just got so  _angry_  and-" Just remembering some of those notes had Danny bristling because they knew  _nothing_.

"I see." That had Danny pausing because, wait, what? He did? Danny was so expecting to get yelled at for that. "I still need to see the event, Daniel."

"I will never be able to look you in the eye again if you do that."

"We all make sacrifices." Clockwork's satisfied smirk quickly fell, the ghost staring at him with confusion and then understanding that finally morphed into nothing but exhaustion. "Five years. I was supposed to have five more years."

Not really sure how to respond, Danny only glanced behind his shoulder to make sure the mirrors were empty of images. Clockwork's sigh had him looking back, Danny flinching at the look. "What'd I do?"

"I didn't stop time." Yes, alright, they had established this. Could they please move on to- "You did."

"You're not very good at jokes so you really need to stop trying. Right, so can you pause time from here or do you have to travel back in time- That second one just sounds horrible for both of us so I recommend-"

"Daniel." Oh, Danny didn't like that tone. He didn't like that tone one bit. "I didn't stop time on Valentine's Day. That was your own power that paused time."

"N- No? I can't pause time, Clockwork. I mean, I know I have some pretty crazy powers, but if I could pause time I would so misuse that. There's no way I have time stopping abilities here."

"I just paused time, Daniel, and it didn't affect you." Looking down at himself, Danny gestured to his bare chest. No time medallion. "Yes, you are not wearing a medallion, hence my surprise at you being able to withstand it. It was supposed to be another five years before you developed time powers."

"No." Nope, no, nuh uh, aha, nope. No. Danny had enough stress in his life dealing with everything he dealt with he didn't need to add being a timekeeper on top of that. "Clockwork. Clockwork, this is a terrible joke."

"If only it were." The dry tone showed just how screwed Danny was. "You're not a timekeeper, of course - you might be one upon your death, but that's still uncertain. No, for now you merely have the ability to withstand and control the flow of time."

"Oh, is that all." Flying to the couch, Danny sat down and buried his face in his hands. "I can stop time and the first thing I use it for is to fuck Andrew." There was a startled noise and oh, right. Clockwork hadn't known that since he couldn't see Danny's timeline as clearly. "I've done worse."

"Delightful. You won't mind sitting through a very long and thorough lecture about how not to abuse your new powers as well as how to understand and use them." Kill him. "We might also touch upon the joys of protection."  _Kill him_.

"Why do you hate me?" The cookie floating in front of him felt like salt in the wound more than anything. He should have stayed home with Andrew and Randy.

::

Cold steel pressed into the palm of his hand, hardly there for a second before the sensation was leaving. His fingers stung from numbness and countless pricks of sharpened tips and his shoulder ached and felt raw from how much force was behind the throws. Unneeded breath swirled into his lungs and countless sensations that had mirrored life were replicated within him. They were all fake, though.

There was no pulse thundering through his veins after a well timed throw. There was no ache in his chest from his hard breathing as he leapt across rooftops with laughter chasing after him. There was nothing but stillness and death.

Why.

Why would anyone- Why would  _Danny_ want this? Danny was so much better. He could choose to be in this world and still leave it but people like him - like Andrew - were  _stuck_. Trapped in a world that couldn't care less and exiled from the only one they had ever known or wanted. It wasn't fair. It wasn't  _fair_.

Why was it that Danny got to be the one to walk between life and death. Shouldn't it have been one of them? Any of them? They had walked the line more than anyone. That single file line with life on one side and death on the other. So many had fallen off but oh, not Andrew. He had walked the line so carefully and did everything he was told and then they wanted him  _dead_. For what? For giving service to the Lord better than any of them could?

The Priest of Death had been raised to follow only the voice of the Lord and that scared them? They hadn't been true to Him. That was what had scared them, wasn't it? The matter of their belief had been called into question so they had gone after the only one to ever truly believe- Not even Randy had believed as he had.

It wasn't  _fair_. Randy was so damn happy and well adjusted now and he was opening up about his problems and enjoying being a ghost. Danny had resolved his problems and had begun to open up and walk between the worlds like Andrew so  _wished_ he could. Him, though? Andrew was  _stuck_.

He had been dragged down to hell through flames of burning knowledge and trapped in a library of books that had hidden him away from what was out there. How was he supposed to accept his powers if he didn't want to be  _dead to begin with_. It wasn't- It's not- It-

" _It's not fair_." Cold steel leaving his fingertips and taking droplets of blood (not blood it would never be blood again) and-

"It never is." Snapping his gaze up, Andrew stared at Randy, the man looking utterly relaxed as he held the throwing knife by the tips of his own fingers (fingers stained red with the death of sinners). "You're slipping."

" _Leave me be_." The harsh words tumbled out in French before he could stop them, Andrew gritting his teeth as it all shifted- No. He was in Vidya (not the Sanctum). He was in the training room (not those cold stone rooms that held them like a jail would prisoners). He was fine (he was covered in the blood of the innocent). " _Leave. Me. Be_."

"Oh, Andy…" The soft, warm voice scraped at his skin like daggers, Andrew turning on his heel and walking across the room. His coat swished behind him (purple not black wrong it should be black) and his hands clenched into fists with green dripping down (it should be  _red_ ). "You've been helping us so much. How did we never see that you needed help the most of all."

The knife was leaving his hand before he even realized he had picked it up, Andrew not even able to feel when Randy just barely managed to dodge it. "You're slipping." Weak. White Fang (no no it was Randy wasn't it?) wasn't allowed to be weak.

"Years later and they still control you, don't they?" Control?  _Control_? The Priest of Death was controlled by no one and guided only by the Lord!

"How  _dare you_ -" Andrew choked on a gasp as he was pinned to the floor faster than he could blink, wrist gripped tight enough that he let out a cry as he dropped the knife he had curled his fingers around.

"The sun rises only when it sets." Jerking to a still, Andrew breathed heavily, and… He knew those words. It was time to rest.

"The crow flies to the west to recover." The words slipped out of him before he could even recall them, labored breathing slowing to a shuddering stall.

"The Lord bids your work done." Arching against the hold, Andrew let out a displeased little whine. No, no, there was still so much- " _The Lord bids your work done_." Familiar words in a familiar language.

"The Lord bids me to rest and renew." Rest. It was time to rest. The fighting was done, the mission was complete, and the the two of them were safe and sound.

"Un- Until tomorrow, all is well." Randy. Randy was holding him down. Why was Randy holding him down?

"For today, all has been done." Well, no, not quite, he still had some homework to grade- A mission report to submit? Why was it all so-

"Rest and sleep, young disciple, for you have done your Lord justice." It was like a rubber band snapping. Such a strange thought to have, in that moment, but that was what it was. A rubber band. Stretching and stretching and then it's let go and everything snaps back into place just as it should be.

"Ra- Randy." But those scars from the stretch still stay there, don't they? "We're… We're in Vidya. In one of the training rooms."

"That's right." Randy smiled, Andrew biting his cheek at seeing the man looked as wrecked as he felt. "That's right, mon petit, you're right here with me in Vidya."

"I slipped." There… It had been so long since he had a real and proper slip like that. Over twenty years long. Randy had him wrapped up in his arms and held closely before Andrew even realized he was shaking. "I slipped."

"Yeah… Yeah, you did." The Priest of Death hadn't been  _all_ of who he was when he lived in the Sanctum. There had been the Priest of Death and there had been Andrew Riter, Sylvia's son and Randy's little brother. Andrew Riter was just harder to find. Those words hadn't been said in over twenty years. "It's okay, Andy. I had a feeling this might happen."

"Oh, well, as long as  _you_ knew I'd fucking lose my mind then I guess everything is fine, isn't it!" Fucking-  _Dammit_. He couldn't do anything right, could he? He couldn't fucking protect his mates, he couldn't stop himself from becoming a  _murderer_ , and he couldn't stop himself from blaming his problems are everybody else!

"I wouldn't say you fucking lost your mind." As much as he didn't wish it, the words had startled a little laugh out of him. "We can't be perfect all the time like me, you know."

"That's the biggest lie I've ever heard you told- No, actually, you saying that you only saw me as a brother was the biggest lie you've ever told." Hearing the displeased silence, Andrew finally let his muscles relax as he leaned back into Randy's hold. "Why do you think I kissed you when we parted ways?"

"You can't blame me for not seeing anything in it back then. You had a pretty screwed up childhood." Hmph. America had ruined Randy, truly. "I know that look."

"Oh? What look is that?" Shuddering at the nuzzling right under his jaw, Andrew tried not to laugh as his head was tilted up and to the side, perfect access to his neck granted in the arching gesture. Randy had probably planned it that way, the bastard. "You're not cute."

"Really? According to you and Danny, I'm very cute." The fluttering little kisses along his jaw had him relaxing a touch more, Andrew huffing and shifting in the tight hold. "Easy, Andy. You're alright."

"Of course I am." Not. He very much was  _not_ alright. Distracting him with kisses wasn't solving the underlying problems, either- Christ, maybe he should just make an appointment with Jazz and be done with it.

"I grew up with you for seventeen years and lived around you for about fifteen after that. You really think I don't know how to read you?" Shuddering at the hand that cupped his jaw and trapped it in place, Andrew let out a high, sharp cry at the sudden bite to his neck- God, how had he forgotten that Randy had those fucking  _fangs_. Just as he started trying to relax so it wouldn't hurt as much, Andrew whined as he was just as suddenly let go. "You think I don't know how to  _read you_. Oh, mon petit chaton. You were one of the first I learned to read."

"R-Randy. You need to stop." Because for as much as Randy could read him, Andrew could read Randy, and… Andrew wasn't sure what he would do to Randy if this kept going.

"Alright." The sigh of relief Andrew gave was too soon. "Tell me to stop." Opening his mouth, the protest came out as a high keen, Andrew jerking as he felt Randy's tongue trace over the bite marks he had made. "Well?"

" _Randy_." Squirming in the hold, Andrew whined again as he felt how tightly his arms were pinned to his side, Randy keeping him trapped in his lap as effortlessly as one might a feisty kitten.  _God_ , that was not a thought he needed right now.

"See, to me that  _sounds_  like a yes, but…" Those damn fangs caught on the tip of his ear, Andrew giving a shout as he felt the tips pierce the skin. The rush of pain was quickly overtaken by a heady sense of pleasure, Andrew going slack in Randy's hold as he near shook himself to pieces. "Tell me yes or tell me no. It's one or the other, Andy."

The tug to his ear had him giving another whine, Andrew bucking in the hold and feeling his cheeks flush as he shifted enough to feel Randy's, ah,  _excitement_. God, did he even want this to stop? He had told Danny to be patient and it would come in time and he wasn't sure if this was a right time or a wrong time or- It wasn't the lick to the tip of his ear that had him agreeing so much as the fingertips brushing against his bare skin by his hip. "Yes, yes, yes, god, yes, Randy, do whatever you want just do  _something_."

"So demanding." Randy's voice was like a  _growl_  more than anything, Andrew jerking in surprise as he felt his pants and boxers pushed down enough to be out of the way. "No wonder Danny always smiles when he complains."

Instead of doing the responsible thing, Randy was a  _tease_ as the tips of his fingers rubbed at the skin on the inside of his thighs. " _Randy_." Andrew squirmed to at least try and get a hand on himself, growling when Randy only shifted with him to keep him further trapped.

The low, throaty laughter had him tilting his head back, breath taken away by a glint of fangs and pupils with only a thin ring of blue around them. "Patience is a virtue, Andy."

"I never claimed to be virtuous, Randy." His renewed struggling was cut off with a bite to the same place as the first, Andrew whining at the contrasting feeling of nothing but a brush of fingers against his shaft. " _Randy_."

"Now that sounds like a fun game." Shuddering at the energy that swirled around them, Andrew yelped as he suddenly found himself pinned to… A bed? Why would- Oh. Oh. "How many times can I get you to cry my name like that?"

Cracking an open to see the man's expression, Andrew let a slow smirk appear as he tilted his head to show clear skin. "How many times can you  _earn_ it, Randy?" Watching the blue in his eyes flash to red, Andrew grinned wider. "Well? Make me scream."

::

"And where have you been for the past few hours?" Floating to a stop, Danny yawned as he looked over to where Andrew and Randy were on the couch- Randy. Randy was on the couch. Andrew was lying over Randy's lap and playing with one of his hands.

"Clockwork's." Flying over, Danny snuggled into the small space between Randy's other side and the couch, purring when he felt Andrew shift over enough to kiss his cheek. "Apparently I'm a timekeeper and have the power to control time on my own."

"Why am I not even surprised by that?" Randy laughed quietly, tangling his fingers through Danny's hair before rubbing at the scalp. "He spent four hours telling you how dangerous time travel is and all that?"

"Three. One hour was for a very long talk on 'protection'." Danny tilted his head back, studying Andrew for a few moments before pouting up at Randy. "Speaking of, it seems you two had fun. I almost feel offended I was left out."

"We'll be sure to make it up to you," Andrew hummed, sitting up to pull Danny across both their laps, covering him with little kisses. "I promise."

"You've destroyed him with sex," Danny laughed, the laugh turning into giggles as Andrew kept nuzzling against him. "I didn't even get to watch."

"Our deepest apologies," Randy snorted, kissing at Danny's cheek and rubbing at the opposite one. "C'mon, why don't we get to bed-  _For sleep_  you teenager. You both have school tomorrow."

"I have a free period," Andrew offered immediately, Danny grinning at the look on Randy's face.

"I can afford to miss gym." Might as well as help Andrew out, right? Being a good mate and all that.

"Truly, you two were meant to be." Randy stood up with a stretch, knocking both Andrew and Danny to the floor without any warning or care. Randy would always be Randy, Danny supposed. He loved it. "Well? Come on, you walking disasters."

"Excuse you, I am a flying disaster." Yawning, Danny allowed himself to be pulled up, looking between Randy and Andrew for a moment. Whatever had lead up to their fun, it seemed some emotional talks had been done as well. Andrew seemed a lot calmer than he had been the last few days… Good.

Now he just had to work on getting some alone time with Randy himself.


	42. Chapter 42

Bonjour, mes chers! A little late for an update, but I kept getting distracted by school and work when it came to finishing and proofing this chapter. I hope you enjoy it and stay warm where cold weather is settling in! I, myself, am currently cuddling up with blankets piled around me and wearing the warmest clothes I have. I have work in half an hour. After this chapter we're going to be getting back to our regularly scheduled plot. What? You thought this story was just gratuitous and self-indulgent trash? Oh, well, it is, but that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun giving you the run around. Enjoy.

[things as well at  **ibelieveinahappilyeverafter**  as well!](http://ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20substitute)

Warnings for: detail sexual situations between Randy and Danny

* * *

**Chapter Forty Two**

::

"Okay, okay, so the new popular theory now is that Phantom is my twin brother who died when we were kids and Andrew is going for both of us because we made some sort of pact to share him?" At the very serious nods from both his friends, Danny couldn't stop himself from wildly snorting into his hands. " _Seriously_?"

"Hey, a twin theory is better than a same person theory," Tucker frowned, tilting himself and his game controller heavily to the right, as if that would help him make the turns. Knowing Tucker, though, that might actually help depending on what he had done to the controller. They  _were_ playing at Tucker's house today, so who knew what might happen with the games. "Twin theories are really popular these days."

"I think you're getting too comfortable with the infatuated student role." Glancing to Sam, Danny winced as he saw the look on her face. It was a look that meant he was going to be getting a lecture. "You're starting to act as sappily domestic in school as you do outside of it."

"I mean, I wouldn't say that." Really, Andrew always startled and flustered over- Ah, no, Danny had just remembered all the times 'Mr. Riter' had flirted back with him. Shit. Maybe his friends were right. "What do you suggest?"

"Tone it back on the affection?" Sam shrugged, decimating Tucker's score with hardly a bat of her eyelashes. It was times like these that Danny remembered why he had loved Sam for so long. "Make it look like a crush that's fading?"

"No, what you need to do is have a messy breakup," Tucker interrupted, giving him their full, undivided attention - which mostly meant he glanced back at them every two seconds. "Like, really messy, really dramatic, and really obvious that you never want to see each other ever again. Make a clone and get Phantom in on it."

"Okay, I like the way you think, Tuck, but we'll hold off on that for plan B." Because Danny wouldn't be able to 'break up' with Andrew without either laughing or crying. It was a fifty-fifty chance on the outcome. "Can't we just make it more subtle?"

"No way, Paulina already knows for a fact you two are together, she's just trying to figure out how it happened, why Phantom hasn't kicked your ass yet, and how it happened to  _you_."

"The way you said that last one makes it sound totally different from the first one." It wasn't  _Danny's_ fault that Andrew was, in Tucker's words, 'triple rainbow gay'. "Maybe we should get Randy in on this somehow. Me falling out of love with him to instead fall in love with his brother? That's some high class drama." Randy would be all too eager to help with that one, too.

" _Speaking_ of Randy." Oh no. "You haven't really told us any details, yet."  _Oh no_. "Spill, Fenton." Sam won the latest racing round while Tucker crashed spectacularly, both of his friends turning towards him with their  _actual_ undivided attention.

"I mean- I mean, I've told you guys? We were all kind of dancing around the topic for a while, Randy broke on Valentine's Day like the sap he is, and now we're all dating. Pretty simple-"

"Nothing with you is ever simple," Tucker said, arms crossed as he raised his eyebrows. Danny was offended mostly because he  _taught_ Tucker that look. "Spill."

"I mean, it's not that different from how we all normally interact when we're hanging out together? When you think about it, we've been dating for months already, right? There's not much for me to 'spill'."

"Okay, but what's it like when there's  _three_ of you in the bedroom? I mean, it's hard enough to picture you and Andrew, considering you're shy as hell and Andrew is a prude, but I imagine adding someone like  _Randy_ makes things more interesting." At Tucker's almost nonchalant tone, Danny could only stare in horror.

"You think their sex life is boring?" Sam's snort was hilarious, but Danny couldn't even focus on that because  _oh no_. "Oh my god, seriously? You're taking French with him! Haven't you ever even heard what they say in French?"

"Okay! Stop! Please!" Never had Danny thought he would be having a conversation with his friends about his sex life in his three-way relationship. He was upset that there had been far weirder conversations between the three of them. "It isn't- We haven't even-"

"Three people at once would be a bit much, wouldn't it? I mean, at least when you're all guys. I mean, if you all try at once-" Throwing a pillow at Tucker as hard as he could - ghost strength included - Danny turned his glare to a laughing Sam.

"Aw, come on, we never get to gossip anymore! We'll tell you about our sex lives!" God, no, that was the worst thought ever. "Fine, then just tell me one difference between Randy and GW in the bedroom."

"Would if I could." Oh, okay, that was a very bitter tone of voice. Danny was trying not to be bitter about  _that_ , but it was very hard. He knew his limits and personality.

"Wait- Wait, you mean you and Randy haven't…" A long stretch of silence fell over them, Danny  _feeling_ the look they shared before Tucker was moving to sit right beside him, comforting hand on his shoulder and- "That's rough, buddy."

"It's not that big of a deal," Danny huffed, tackling and pinning Tucker to the ground, pleased at the whines and wiggles he gave to try and get free. "I mean, this stuff happens in time, right? It's totally fine."

"Yeah, but you want it to happen now, right?" Conveniently avoiding Sam's look, Danny yelped as Tucker managed to topple him over. "What about Randy and GW? Have they…"

"I'd be a terrible boyfriend if I told you guys about their sex life," Danny frowned, kicking at Tucker's stomach and getting a pillow to his face for his troubles.

"Meaning they  _have_ a sex life." Wait- Dammit, Sam! "So you're starting to feel jealous that they've been together and you haven't?"

"Yes- No- Ugh!" Dann rolled over and used the pillow to muffle another shout of frustration, upset when Tucker's light patting to his back actually calmed him down a little. "I don't know. I'm not like- I'm not  _jealous_ jealous, but I guess I'm a little jealous, you know?"

"Makes sense." Thank whatever twisted ghost god was out there for his friends. "So, what? You don't think you can seduce Randy, then? I mean, no offense, but he's kind of a slut."

"Wha- Hey!" Fuck the twisted ghost god that gave him his friends. "Randy is not a  _slut_." Sure he flirted and charmed, but he was a cute, bumbling little romantic when you got past that.

"His attitude says slut," Sam said bluntly, offering a pat to the head as an apology. "Honestly, Danny, have you tried to talk about this with him?"

"I- I mean…" Maybe not a word for word conversation exactly. "He's always busy?"

"I doubt he'd ever be too busy for you." Sam grabbed her controller and started up a new game, Tucker dragging Danny away from his pillow. "You have two options, Danny. Talk or seduce."

"Those are horrible options," Danny complained, making himself dead weight as he was dragged over towards his own controller- Heh. Dead weight. "I take option C."

"Die of sexual frustration." Well… He still had Andrew? "Randy sexual frustration." Danny really hated the fact that Sam had a small,  _small_ point. "You know, there's this controversial new research that says communication can be  _good_ for relationships."

"Stop making sense," Danny whined, kicking at Tucker as a controller was set on his face. "You're both annoying."

"Yet you love us anyways," Tucker grinned, helping Danny sit up and giving him the pillow back. "Seriously, man, if it's bothering you then just talk about it. Maybe he just doesn't want to push you into something?"

"I-" Randy. This was  _Randy_. "Shit." Randy who backed off the second either of them ever so much as frowned or looked away for a split second and knew Danny's emotions better than he knew them himself. "Tuck, I think you're a genius."

"Buddy, I calculated the minimum amount of effort I have to put into school until graduation to get passing grades. I'm  _the_ genius."

"Mhm. I think I'm about to kill you for the fifth time, genius."

"Wha- We haven't even started- When did you start the game?! Sam!"

"I think it's Sam as 'the genius'," Danny chuckled, relaxing as he watched his friends joke and 'fight' over a simple game. He loved days like this one, and he couldn't be more happy with his friends- "Did you just gang up on me? You jerks!"

::

Danny  _hated_ days like these. Days where he was losing his mind from the energy that built up inside of him like a lake that was too heavily dammed. There was so much energy and power and it all started to spill over and it was all Danny could do to switch between his human and ghost sides to try and use up as much energy as possible while it happened - it was far too dangerous to use any of his  _other_ powers in this state.

It wasn't like the days he had sensory attacks - those, at last, he had a bit of warning for. It would build up before he had to shut himself off from the world. These, however? Danny never got a warning on what was 'too much' energy until it was suddenly… Well, until it was too much. There was no warning, no time to tell anyone, and nothing to do but try and use up as much of it as he could.

Which was where he was right now, near bouncing off the walls of Vidya and going crazy as he switched from Phantom to Fenton as many times as possible and as quickly as he could. He was focused enough that he didn't even hear anyone approaching until he heard Randy's voice.

"Is this a new type of training I haven't heard about or did you lose a bet to your friends?" Gaze snapping to where Randy was leaning against the wall of one of the study rooms Danny had been hiding in, Danny made an irritated noise as he snapped back to his ghost form - not changed, but  _snapped_. Changing wasn't doing much to use up the energy, then. "Danny?"

"I'm fine." Alright, so, his tone may have been a bit harsh, but Randy would probably forgive him later when Danny wasn't ready to crawl out of his goddamn skin- Training room. Teleporting away - and hitting a few different rooms to try and burn off more energy - Danny finally landed in Vidya's training room before charging up as large and powerful an ecto-blast as he could. He wasn't supposed to use his other powers when he had this much energy, but he had to get rid of this feeling  _somehow_.

Right before he let it go, he felt a hand on his shoulder and a swirl of energy that wasn't his own surround him. His attack shot into the wall in front of him, a few pieces of rock hitting the ground as Randy spoke, "Sorry, mon douce, but Vidya can't handle attacks that powerful." There was nothing but silence in his head instead of Vidya's soothing hums, Danny wrinkling his nose and shifting and backing away from Randy to get his hand off of him.

"Yeah, right, whatever." There was too much energy and Danny had no way to get it out the way he  _usually_ got it out since Andrew wasn't here. Which was why he was throwing another attack at the walls and sending out a mental apology to Liz at how powerful it was. "Andy's still at school. Teacher thing."

"I know. Apparently the teachers are revamping some of the old curriculum for next year. Andy seemed pretty excited to be able to plan the Creative Writing course how he wanted, at least." Flinching at the touch to his shoulder this time, Danny shot a glare over to Randy, anger leaving him in a second at the man's hurt expression.

"Sorry- Sorry, I just- Sorry." Throwing as much energy as he could into his teleportation, Danny groaned as he saw he only teleported himself into Randy's bedroom. God, he was a  _wreck_ , wasn't he? Burrowing his way under the covers and hoping maybe that it would help hide him, Danny shuddered as he picked up the smell of Randy's shampoo and hair gel. It was very much not helping at the moment.

A light knock to the door had him curling up even more, Danny whining when he felt a gentle pressure on the top of his head, "Oh, mon petit." The fingers tangled in his hair and as much as Danny knew he should pull away and try to get some distance between them, he was far too greedy for that touch to do anything but press closer. "Danny, what's wrong?"

"Nothing- No, just, nothing that won't be fixed when Andrew comes home." Randy's fingers trailed down to brush against his cheek, Danny honest to god  _whining_ when the fingers slipped over to rub behind his ear.

"Danny." It wasn't a plea anymore, but Randy's voice was still gentle- Deeper, too- Fuck, why did Randy have to always  _push_ him when he didn't even  _realize_ it? "Tell me what's wrong, dear one."

"It's just another stupid side effect of my stupid ghost powers," Danny snapped, narrowing his eyes up at where Randy was now sitting on the bed in front of him, back pressed against the headboard.

"That sounds like something I should be worried about as someone who loves and cares for you." God, Randy probably wasn't even aware of what he was  _doing_ to him. "Danny-"

"It's nothing! It's embarrassing! Just leave me alone and forget about it!" Of course, because this was  _Randy_ , yelling did nothing but make him press harder.

"If you really think I'm going to leave you alone after hearing that something is wrong then you've forgotten who I am." Stop. Being.  _Perfect_.

Sitting up, Danny sucked in a breath to yell before he paused and snapped his mouth shut. Fine. Fine, Randy wanted to know what was wrong? Fine. "You want to know what's wrong?"

"I- Yes?" Randy blinked, looking startled. Grinning more than a bit viciously, Danny moved to straddle Randy's lap, arms winding around his neck. "I, ah, Danny?"

"I told you, didn't I? It's one of the side effects of my ghost powers. You researched us, right? Looked into Vlad before you did jobs for him." Now that he was close, Danny couldn't stop himself from giving in and curling closer, nuzzling at Randy's neck and kissing at the warm skin there. The shudder he felt from Randy was  _wonderful_.

"I always do my research, you know, but I don't remember 'increased horniness' being a part of being half-ghost," Randy argued, Danny letting himself purr at the hitching and stuttering of Randy's breath.

"Guess you just didn't find the right research." Danny cautiously gave a little lick to the warm, flushed skin, nose wrinkling a bit as the tip of his tongue caught on Randy's leather collar. "It more a part of how our powers build up inside of us. Our fucked up biology makes it to where the energy builds up and we need to find ways to get rid of it."

"And that automatically translate to sex, does it?" Fingers tangled in his hair and gave it a sharp jerk, Danny honest to god  _whining_ as he arched against the touch. "And Andrew's not here." No- No, that made it seem like Randy was just a consolation, which,  _no_.

"Not that," Danny mumbled, coherent thought leaving fast as he began wiggling closer and rolling his hips down sharply into Randy's own, keening at the sharp jerk that Randy gave back. "Not just that- Want you. Not- Not cause you're here and Andy's not, just want  _you_."

"You chose a hell of a time to have this conversation." Tell him about it. Randy didn't seem to mind too much as he wound an arm around Danny's waist and pulled him close again, Danny whining and grinding against him at once, shuddering as he felt a thick hardness pressing against his own. "Fuck, Danny, I've been holding back because I didn't want to push anything-"

"Not good enough anymore," Danny muttered, distracted as he fiddled with Randy's collar before getting it off and tossing it away, licking and biting at the skin that was now available to him. "Want you so bad, Randy, wanted you for so long. You've been driving me crazy and teasing me and I've been picturing this since you put that damn healing tonic on my thighs that one time-"

"I knew you liked that." Randy's voice was low and breathy, his laugh barely more than a forced exhale as Danny suddenly found his hazmat suit completely phased off. There was something very exciting about being completely bare and exposed with Randy still fully clothed. "What was it that did it, hm? Was it the fact I was taking care of you?"

Randy's fingertips danced across the exact place where he had been burned, Danny gasping and rocking his hips forward to try and get more of the touch. A low chuckle in his ear had him just barely focusing on Randy's next words, "Or was it that I was so  _close_ to where you really wanted to be touched?"

" _Randy_." The plea was barely out before Randy was digging nails into his thighs roughly before rubbing away the sharp pain at once, Danny completely thrown at the dual sensations. "Randy, Randy, please, do something-  _Anything_ -  _Please_."

"Oh, sweet thing." The sweet, quiet words were all the warning Danny had before Randy's fangs were suddenly sinking into the space between his neck and shoulder, fingers tightly gripping his cock and dragging across the dry skin roughly. Danny felt more than heard how loud he was, body shaking as he completely fell apart at the sharp points of pain that wracked his body, so different from the constant teasing Andrew always worked him up with.

A moment of utter bliss and Danny squirmed and wiggled at feeling a now slick hand pump his cock, not giving him a moment's rest as Randy licked at the blood - ectoplasm? - that ran down his skin. " _Ran- Randy_."

"Did you ever really think that I would say no to you?" Randy's voice was as ragged as Danny felt, the teen trying to squirm away as the feeling started overwhelming him. "Did you think I didn't  _want_ you?" A tight, harsh squeeze was accompanied by another bite further up his neck, nails of his opposite hand pulling harshly down the center of his spine before digging in deep at his lower back.

Danny wasn't sure what the hell happened next because it was way too soon for him to come again, but his mind completely fogged over and his body went slack in the pure pleasure that overtook his entire body. "You sweet, silly thing." Randy's voice sounded fuzzy, as if coming from far away. Focused as he was on the words, it took Danny a moment to realize he had been gently laid down, Randy kissing his way down his chest. "What do you want?"

Danny's breath hitched as he felt the tip of a fang catch on his skin, Randy lapping at the cut at once. "Ev- Everything you can give." Danny felt a smile pressed against his skin before he felt a small, single lick to the tip of his cock. Shuddering at the promise of that single action, Danny pried his eyes open - when had he even closed them? - to find Randy kneeling between his legs with bright blue eyes completely focused on his face.

Instead of saying anything else, Randy took the opportunity to pump his cock agonizingly slow a few times before wrapping his lips around the very tip, tongue lapping at the slit and making him whine as he tried to both arch into the touch and pull away. Randy kept him pinned easily with a hand on his waist, the other sliding down to caress and brush over his balls as he sank down even further.

Danny was suddenly realizing why Andrew had been so cheerful and relaxed the other day if he had experienced anything like what Danny was going through now. Randy seemed to be constantly keeping him on edge and knew just when to pull back to keep Danny from falling over again.

Danny wasn't sure how long it was until he felt wet fingers gently probing at his entrance, Danny cracking an eye open to see Randy was shifting him so Danny could hook a leg over his shoulder, pressing the tip of a finger inside him once he was properly positioned. "Where-" Danny swallowed, throat clicking at how dry it suddenly was. "Where'd you get lube?"

A particularly sharp suck had him throwing his head back hard enough to hurt, Danny gasping as there was suddenly cold air brushing against his wet cock. "Under my pillow." Randy's voice was already raspy, Danny shuddering as the finger inside him worked in deeper. "You really don't realize how much I think of you two."

"I'd be glad to hear more," Danny panted, whining loudly as another finger began to wiggle it's way inside next to the first. " _Randy_."

"Everything I can give, right?" Randy mouthed at the side of his cock, licking at the skin before sharply blowing on it and sending Danny withering away and pressing down more onto the fingers, something that had him gasping out. "Oh, my dear. I'll give you everything you want."

Danny was unable to respond as Randy leaned up to pull him into a kiss, Danny shuddering at how even with everything going on the kiss still felt loving and gentle. Wrapping his arms around Randy's shoulders once again, Danny pulled back enough to speak, breathing ragged, "Why did we wait so long for this?"

"Andy's the smart one, not us," Randy teased, nipping at Danny's jaw and forcing him to expose more of his neck, something Randy quickly took advantage of. "I'll make it up to you, though. I'll make it up for making you feel so neglected."

"Just-" Danny's breath hitched as a third finger was introduced, Danny arching against the pressing fingers and moaning loudly and freely. "Just give me your time."

"You have it, Danny. You have it for as long as you want." Voice breaking on a laugh, Danny pulled Randy back up into another kiss, parting to kiss at his cheek.

"For forever?" This time it was Randy laughing, everything suddenly feeling so damn  _right_.

"Yeah… Yeah, Danny. For forever."

Forever couldn't come soon enough.

::

"It doesn't automatically transfer to sex." There was a stretch of silence, Danny hiding a smile as he near  _felt_ Randy's confusion. It was too great. "Earlier, when I was telling you about energy building up in us? Sex is just the safest way to get it out. Expelling ghostly energy and all that."

"Ah." Settling back down where he was lying on top of Randy, Danny lightly nuzzled him under his jaw. "There's a reason that could be a bit dangerous as well, you know."

"Wha- Really?" Danny looked up at him, nose wrinkling a bit. "What's the reason? How can sex be dangerous- Don't answer that, I'm sure you could come up with a lot of ways."

"I'll let Andrew tell you," Randy snickered, kissing at Danny's cheek and rolling them over to tuck him close. "Speaking of, he's probably going to be back soon. Do you want to stay here or go back to Vidya?"

"Mm, Liz is great," Danny hummed, snuggling into Randy's warmth and purring quietly as the blankets were pulled up around him. "She's important too, you know, and she probably gets lonely when you're gone all the time."

"You're something else entirely, sweet one." Choosing to take that as a compliment, Danny let his eyes drift shut, thoroughly and utterly sated. "Next time, let's agree to talk things out if we're upset."

"Can't do that. Sam will say I told you so." The fingers scratching at his scalp felt so  _nice_. He could easily fall asleep like this.

"Oh? You talk to your friends about your sex life?"

"More like they talk about it and I blush and yell at them in return-" Sitting up quickly, Danny ignored Randy's pained grunt as he stared down at him seriously. "When can we have a three-way?"

"Well, then. I walked in at quite the interesting time." Blinking, Danny tilted his head back to see Andrew leaning against the open door, smirk on his face and something very dark shining in his eyes. "Did I miss something fun?"

"I feel like we've been in this situation before," Danny grinned, laughing as he was suddenly pulled down and the covers jerked over his head. "Hiding me doesn't hide the truth!"

"I'm in way over my head with you two." Wiggling his way to freedom, Danny poked his head out just in time to see Andrew - sans coat - giving Randy a very thorough kiss. "What? I don't get a welcome home kiss?"

"So needy." That was all the warning Danny got before he was pulled into a rather filthy kiss, Danny all too happy to give Andrew complete and total control as he relaxed into it. "Did you have fun today, mon cher?"

"I had a  _lot_ of fun," Danny hummed, bumping his nose against Andrew's and grinning at the startled little laugh it earned him. "You should join us next time."

"Horrible." Randy was blushing up a storm, hands covering his face as he complained. "You two are just  _horrible_."

"You love it," Danny laughed, pulling Randy's hands away by his wrists in order to lean down and give him a quick kiss. "Love you, Randy."

Sighing, Randy tugged Danny back down by the back of his neck, returning the quick kiss with a soft one of his own, "I love you, too." Of course, the moment was soon ruined, as moments tended to be around them.

"You two haven't eaten in hours, have you? Come on, get up. You can eat naked for all I care, but you two  _are_ going to eat."

"Boo," Danny complained, not putting up a fight as he was dragged off of Randy and into Andrew's arms.

"Yes, yes, we've established the fact you're a ghost." Letting out startled laughter, Danny grinned as a kiss was pressed to his cheek, noticing that Randy was sitting up himself and watching them fondly.

Really, if it took all that suffering to end up here, then Danny supposed he wouldn't have changed any of it. Not if it got him his two amazing mates- Mates…

That had a nice ring to it.


	43. Chapter 43

Bonjour, mes chers! Just a friendly little warning to expect a lot more chapters for Substitute this month as I've decided to make it my NaNoWriMo project to finish this story! Wish me luck!

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at[ibelieveinahappilyeverafter](http://ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20substitute)

Warnings for: Spectra, emotional manipulation

* * *

**Chapter Forty Three**

::

"Oh, Danny… And here I was joking when I said there was a reason you were so comfortable around killers." Of course… That was always how thing went, though, wasn't it? Just as soon as everything was going well and Danny couldn't be happier, there had to be something to drag him back down to the reality of what his life really was. "My, my, you do work quick when it comes to taming assassins, don't you?"

"You know, I'd really like to find out where you get your information from one day." Too easy. It was getting too easy for Danny to call up the full brunt of his power when he was still human. Already there was green energy swirling around his fingertips and he knew, without a doubt, that his eyes were glowing with the same energy. It was interesting, though, that she had chosen to attack while he was walking home from school and in full public view. That wasn't her typical style. "It must be so much harder without that snippy little assistant of yours around to do your dirty work for you. Now, what do you want, Spectra."

"Such a hostile tone towards your therapist!" Spectra's smile was sharp and  _deadly_ as one finger hooked over the edge of her sunglasses to tug them down, "Really, Danny, if not for me then I don't think you would ever talk out your problems."

"Really? See, I thought this was a fight. You say something you think is witty, I return with a bit of my own  _actual_ wit, you make me doubt my sanity, and then we part ways and I hope I never see your ugly face again." Oh, that got to her, didn't it? Danny had almost forgotten with how she always acted, but Spectra's obsession wasn't making others feel bad - oh, no, that was just a means to an end to her. No, her  _obsession_ was being  _young_ and  _beautiful_. That was the reason she did all of this. "Is that a new wrinkle? It has been a while since we've spoken, after all."

"Cheeky, aren't you?" Tensing at the tone, Danny didn't even get to raise a shield before his back was slammed into the crumbling brick wall of an alleyway, wicked sharp nails tearing through his shirt and digging into his skin. "If you really want a fight, Danny, then I'll be glad to oblige."

"Bit dangerous for you, isn't it?" Tapping into his ice powers, Danny made his body as cold as he could get away with as quickly as he could, pleased when Spectra released him with a sharp hiss. "You don't really  _fight_ , after all. You're more of a scavenger than anything."

"And that's supposed to make you feel better, is it?" This time when Spectra attacked him, it was without the use of her human disguise. Fuck, it had been too long since he fought Spectra when she was like this - fighting with Johnny made him learn just how hard it was to fight off a shadow, and Spectra, it seemed, didn't have Shadow's weakness towards light. "Scavengers pry their meals from the jaws of beasts much stronger than you. You, Danny, oh… You should be very,  _very_ frightened right now."

"And you, Spectra, should realize just who I am." Danny let his transformation take over him at once, throwing all of his energy into a shield to knock Spectra off of him before he was shooting into the air as fast as he could. "You really think a  _leech_ is going to be the one to take me down? I've beaten things stronger than you!"

"You don't know how strong I've gotten." What- Since when could Spectra  _teleport_? Danny didn't manage to even fully turn around before powerful energy was  _searing_ into his back, Danny clamping down on the scream that wanted to tear its way out of his throat. "None of you ever really  _did_ understand how my powers work. Let me give you a little lesson, since you love learning so much."

Forming another shield, Danny grunted as energy slammed into it, his eyes widening as he started to see cracks spider webbing across his energy. Spectra shouldn't have this much power - at least, not enough to crack his shield like  _that_. "I don't think whatever you have to teach me is something I want to know."

"No, but it's something you need to know." This time Danny really did scream as his shield was shattered apart and Spectra was pinning him to the roof of a building, pieces of rock and gravel digging into his seared back. "Aw, did the poor little  _hero_ get used to winning all his fights? Did you forget that you're still a  _child_?"

"And what-" Danny gritted his teeth, forcing himself to keep his eyes open. "And what does that say about you?"

"I drain more than just 'energy', Danny." Spectra's grin was sickly. It was as if her entire being was  _poison_  and Danny wanted her gone he wanted  _her off of him_ \- As soon as he heard Spectra's hiss of pain, Danny was bringing his legs up and sharply kicking up at her as hard as he could, scrambling away and back into the air as he did so. "My, my, we are scared, aren't we?"

"Just what the hell do you  _want_?" Distracted by the pulsing pain in his back, Danny sucked in a sharp breath as he suddenly dropped out of the air to instead land on the roof, head swimming and body feeling as if he had used far too much power in far too short of a time. That couldn't be right, though. He had barely used his powers lately.

"You know, Danny, maybe I was wrong about the three of you not making it work." What? Looking up at Spectra - and didn't that just set him on edge even more, having to look  _up_ at her - Danny saw she was tapping a claw against her cheek and had a twisted mockery of a pout on her face. "Then again… My point still stands, doesn't it?"

"When are you gonna learn that making me doubt my relationships isn't going to work anymore?" Come on, come on, come on,  _focus_. He shouldn't be feeling this drained after only exchanging a few hits with  _Spectra_  - the pain in his back be damned. Maybe if it was another, stronger ghost, but in a head-to-head fight Spectra was  _weak_. Why was he feeling this tired?

"Oh, it's not their feelings for you that has any doubt to them, no, no… It's your feelings for  _them_. Human teenagers are so  _fickle_ with their emotions, after all."

Dragging up as much power as he could, Danny threw a powerful blast towards Spectra, upset that it only managed to hit part of her as she dodged out of the way. "That's your big last ditch effort to get to me? Telling me that I'm 'fickle'?"

"Well, it's not like I'm wrong," Spectra huffed, not even paying attention to the bright green ectoplasm that was dripping down her arm, shadows pulsing and shifting around the wound. "You three only have so long together before you start to outgrow them. You already  _have_ outgrown the Ghostwriter, after all."

This time Danny knew his attacks were wild, but he couldn't bring himself much to care as long as one of them would  _shut her up_. "You know  _nothing_ about us!" Even as he said it, though, he knew it was a lie. Spectra knew almost too much about them with how accurate her words were at times - with how deeply they dug under the skin.

"Oh, please, you yourself know that's a lie." Spectra's simpering smile was gone, nothing but cold rage in it's place. "You know you're lying to me as much as you are yourself.  _Admit it_ , Danny. What kind of person falls in love with two people at once like that? What kind of person falls in love with their mate's  _brother_ \- Oh, yes, yes, I know, they're happily together and aren't really brothers, but that's something that would have happened with or without your interference. 'The Priest of Death and his White Fang'. They were always building up to it. You, however? You're just a quick fuck to pass the time-"

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut  _up, shut up,_ _ **shut up**_!" The scream built up in his throat and grew and grew and Danny did nothing to stop the way power poured into his words and forced them out. Spectra deserved far worse than what a ghostly wail could unleash so he made sure to pour in  _everything_. All his hate, all his anger, every bad emotion her words had caused in him, all the 'darkness' that Randy spoke about - he poured in  _everything_.

Too much.

"Quite the temper tantrum." Heaving for breath, Danny stared down at where his shaking arms kept him from collapsing, eyes wide at seeing he was  _human_. That was wrong. That was- He didn't change back when he used a ghostly wail - not anymore, at least. Not unless he was facing someone powerful- Really… Really powerful. "Are you going to let me finish now?"

Perfectly manicured nails caught Danny by his chin and forced him to look up, a perfectly human Penelope Spectra kneeling in front of him and smiling. "There we are, nice and silent. Now, as I was saying, you're just something  _interesting_  for them. New. The strange little half-ghost child who saves the day and falls into the hero trope so  _easily_. That's how it started, wasn't it? After your stint as Christmas Hero your dear Andrew was  _curious_ and let you come back to his library."

N… No. Danny had gone to apologize and then butted his way in so he  _had_ to come back, Andrew had nothing to do with 'letting' him… But if that was the case, he could have locked Danny out of Vidya. Danny never would have entered Vidya if Andrew hadn't wanted him there or Vidya hadn't deemed him someone Andrew would talk to. "I can't blame him. You're quite the rarity, even more than Plasmius. You're safer to observe, too. Didn't you notice that Randy didn't stop taking jobs for Plasmius until  _after_ you came along?"

That… That was true, but there was  _more_ to it. Randy knew how uneasy Plasmius had made him back then and only took jobs once they made the truce, and… But… Randy himself had told Danny that day they had first met each other. He said he was curious about his little brother's mate and wanted to meet him. Curious. Randy had kept an eye on him like one might a particularly interesting science experiment.

"They were raised by thieves and killers, Danny." The swelling of sympathy in Spectra's voice had Danny flinching and trying to pull back - trying to remember just who this  _was_  - but it was all he could do to keep his eyes open. He was so  _tired_. "They don't have empathy like you do. When they see something interesting, they do whatever it takes to keep it close and study it. A lonely little teen like you… Something like a relationship  _would_ keep you happy."

No… No, she was wrong- She was  _wrong_. He and Andrew were  _mates_. That- Something like that couldn't be faked. Feelings like theirs couldn't be  _acted out_ like a role in a movie. R- Right? No, they couldn't. They  _couldn't_.

"Ssh, ssh, it's okay, Danny, it's alright. Maybe I'm wrong about all of this, hm?" Exactly. She was  _wrong_. "Maybe I've misjudged you all and you really will last, but… Well, maybe you don't have to worry. You have so  _little_ humanity left, after all."

...What?

"I really was a therapist once, you know, so I know how this all goes. Feelings change when you're human - they constantly grow and evolve and change. As a ghost, however… You're stuck forever how you are the moment you die. There's no changing after that. While Andrew and Randy will always be together now, you'll only be with them for a short time. How likely is it that you would still be together when you're thirty? Forty?  _Fifty_? Even if the feelings stay the same… Eventually it will get to be too much."

She was right. At least with these concerns, with these words- They were words Danny himself had thought over for ages now. Words he had thought so many times that they had even once slipped into a game between him and Andrew. That was his greatest fear. Growing older and  _moving on_. How many people stayed with their first real love, after all? Randy and Andrew would always have each other, but when Danny left… He would have no one.

"That doesn't have to happen." Spectra's voice was warm and kind and for a moment - just a moment - Danny forgot that he was supposed to hate her. "Things don't have to end in tragedy, you know. Can't you see that this is really the best? You see it, don't you? Everything would be better if you were  _just_ a ghost-"

"You mean everything would be better if I killed myself." Danny pulled himself back roughly, cursing as his arms gave out and he just barely managed to catch himself enough to lean against the low stone wall of the building roof they were still on. "That's what all this is about, right? I kill myself and you- You what? Get power? Get some kind of control over me?"

"Oh, Danny, please. I'm not Freakshow." Scoffing, Danny glared as Spectra gave him a sharp smile, sickly glowing eyes staring at him over the tops of her sunglasses. "We both get what we want. As it is, if I influence someone's death then I get quite a bit of their energy when they pass on - which would make no difference to you. You'd come back as a ghost even stronger than you are now."

"Yeah, I'd also be  _dead_." How could he have ever - for even an instant - believed Spectra to be  _kind_. "It's never going to happen."

"Oh, Danny." Spectra sighed, fully taking her sunglasses off and standing up, cheek propped up on a closed fist. "I see so much of myself in you some days-"

"That's the  _last_ thing I want to hear from you." He wanted  _nothing_ in common with the monster in front of him.  _Nothing_.

"It's true, though," Spectra frowned, shaking her head. "I was once in love too, you know. I know what those feelings are like. That desperate need to be close to them, that overflowing love that you never want to end, and that fear of growing older and drifting apart from that one you love  _so much_. I know the fear of being alone and the fear that you'll never find that happiness again."

Did… Was there  _actually_ something Danny had in common with  _Spectra_ of all people? He… He supposed it would make some sense? She was human once, too. Spectra hadn't always been this twisted - she couldn't have been. Maybe she was telling the truth, this time - or at least, telling the truth about this. Maybe she really had been happily in love before-

"So I killed the man I loved and then I killed myself." For a moment - a single moment - Danny felt as if the ice inside of him had finally turned against him. "It was the only option, you know. It was all I  _could_ do. I was getting older, he was seeing he had other options, and I wanted us to stay together. As you can guess for yourself, I'm the only one that came back."

"You're sick." How could she talk of love and the fear of drifting apart when she had- Danny could never imagine something like that. He could  _never_ kill Andrew or Randy - not even if it cost him their relationship. "How could you do something like that-"

"I was in love." Spectra's voice was colder than any ice wielder in the Far Frozen, the woman glaring down at him with a hint of fang showing through her disguise. "I made sure to never make that mistake again."

"So now you take it all out on everyone else," Danny smirked, desperately trying to pull his power up from inside him, pushing away the tiredness and digging for anything he could use to transform. He just needed to get home and he would be okay - he could turn on the ghost shield and he would be  _fine_.

"Sometimes," Spectra smirked, staring down at Danny before sighing and dropping her shoulders, twisted pout back on her face. "It really is a gift what I'm offering you, Danny. Can't you see how good this would be for you?"

"Yeah, gift of making me kill myself. Such a great gift- No, really, you should look into starting a business." Alright, he should have enough power to make it to the ground, after that he would be relying on running- Considering the attack that had burned his back, that wasn't going to be very fun.

"Oh, honestly, Danny." Spectra shook her head, shadow form beginning to bleed through. Danny started pulling his power close to him again, ready for whatever was about to happen. "Haven't you realized it yet? If you become a ghost as you are now then not only will you finally feel like you aren't torn between worlds, but you'll get to forever keep those two assassins of yours. Not to mention the possibility of your  _charming_ future will finally end."

"I don't need to  _kill myself_ to make sure that future will never happen." He had promised. He had  _promised_ , and it wasn't a promise he was planning on breaking. He would never turn into Dan.

"Don't you? You have assurance, after all. You're already half  _ghost_. You'll come back without any problems and look exactly as you do now." Looking over the edge of the roof, Danny gasped as his chin was roughly grabbed and he was pulled around to once again face Spectra. "Don't you get it? You fell in love with  _death_  and now your choices are very,  _very_ limited."

Spectra was more shadow than woman now, Danny doing his best to not flinch at the glare she was leveling at him. Spectra didn't give him a chance to respond to her words, only gripping tighter, "Your ghost half is already  _obsessed_ with those two, after all."

"What- No! They're not my obsession!" Oh, Danny loved and cared for Andrew and Randy deeply, there was no mistake about that, but he wasn't  _obsessed_ with them. "Protecting Amity Park is my obsession!" That's what always pushed him to keep going, after all. Protecting Amity Park and keeping everyone safe. That's what got him through the nightmares, the long nights of being unable to close his eyes in fear of what he might see, and the wounds with scars he would always have… That… That's what got him through… Andrew…

"Danny, Danny, Danny." The nails dug into his skin, not quite piercing it but certainly making a promise. "Don't forget the very problem we've been discussing. You're only  _half_ ghost. That human side of yours - small as it is now - influences quite a bit. Your obsession is  _fluid_  and it can  _change_. Why do you think Plasmius is not longer out for revenge against your parents? Your obsession changed, Danny… To lose those two would  _break you_."

Danny settled for glaring and making a sound very close to a snarl, trying not panic as the energy he had been building up inside him started feeling like it was slipping away. Just what was  _happening_ to him?

"You know I'm right, don't you?" It wasn't the words that had Danny snapping his gaze to Spectra's but the  _tone_. The tone that showed she was telling the truth - that they  _both_ knew she was telling the truth. "Staying alive is only giving you more and more chances to lose them and everyone else that you care about, so take some free advice and make it to where you'll  _never_ lose them."

"Oh, so you're just trying to help me now, is that it?" Danny jerked his head back, keeping himself upright out of spite more than any actual energy he had. "After everything you've done what makes you think I'm going to believe a word you say?"

"Like I said, we'd end up helping each other." Spectra smirked as she stood back up to her full height, her body more shadow than human now. "You wouldn't even have to do anything at this point. You're able to use all your powers when you're human, right?" She didn't wait for Danny to answer - why would she? She already knew he could. "In fact, I'd say that they've near taken over at this point, right?"

Danny didn't like where this was going- God, of all the days to let Tucker keep the Fenton Thermos so he could fiddle with it. "Get to your  _point_."

"Ooh, temper, temper. You really  _are_ starting to sound like him - even your voice is getting deeper." Liar. She was a liar. She  _had_ to be a liar. "My  _point_ , Danny, is that you could just change into that ghost half of yours and not change back for… Oh, let's say a week? A month tops and I'm certain you'd never have to worry about being human again."

"Yeah, because  _that's_  how half-ghosts work. We just become more and more ghost as time goes on- Oh, wait. We don't!" But… Danny couldn't help but remember when he had visited Vlad and the man had seemed startled when Danny had formed his tail when he was still human.

"How would you know? There's only three of you and each of you came about in different means. That cute little 'cousin' of yours is more ghost than you are some days with how she was crafted out of ectoplasm, Plasmius was only exposed to the after effects of radiation, and you… Oh, Danny.  _You_ were exposed to the entire Ghost Zone at once. What does that do to a person, I wonder."

"That's not how it works. I don't just stop being human if I spend long enough as a ghost." Except… Except everything was already bleeding together. How often had Danny had to forcibly stop himself from using his powers when he was in school these days? He had as much access to his powers in human form as he did his ghost form.

"Are you sure?" No. No, he wasn't sure at all. Just what had the Ghost Zone done to him? What had it really,  _really_ done to him? "Why, I'm sure you wouldn't even have to stay as a ghost the way you're going. Just a bit longer as you are, and, well… You said it yourself, after all, didn't you?"

"I-" Before Danny could even think on what to say, a loud, booming crack broke the very air and Danny fought to cover his ears against the sound, eyes wide as he realized that Spectra had been hit so hard she had been forced through the  _roof_ \- and what looked to be a few floors below that.

"Oh, Spectra… You made a very poor decision today." Flinching at the touch to his cheek, Danny blinked as he slowly realized that it was  _Randy_ in front of him. It had taken a moment because… He had never seen Randy look this angry- He had never seen Randy look so much like White Fang.

"Ra- Randy." Even with all of Spectra's words floating around his head and digging into him, Danny couldn't help but let a small part of him be so damn  _happy_ at the fact that someone had come to help him. "Randy, be careful, she's stronger-"

"Oh, I'm quite aware." Before Danny could say anymore, one of Randy's pure white bubble shields was wrapped around him, Randy standing back up and looking to where Spectra - completely made of shadows - was dragging herself out of the rubble.

"My, my, what did I ever do to be blessed with  _your_ presence?" Even as she spoke, Danny could see that Spectra was plotting her escape quickly and furiously, fear clearly shining in her eyes. Just what had Randy done to her the last time they had fought? Spectra rarely showed fear like this, so whatever Randy had done… It left an impression.

"You hurt my mate." Right, Randy was  _very_ protective- Oh… He called Danny his mate. "Now do be a dear and stay still while I pump your body full of lead and blood blossoms, yes?"

"I rather think that will have to wait for another time." Spectra's gaze turned towards him, Danny  _hating_ himself for how he curled up and felt honest  _fear_. "Danny, be sure to remember our little conversation today, hm? No matter how this all turns out, well… You'll soon get what you want."

Spectra and Randy were both gone in a blink, Danny breathing out shakily and only keeping it together as the sight of the crystal shield that was securely wrapped around him. As long as he was in here, he would be kept safe.

Except he wouldn't. There was no way he could be kept safe. He couldn't be kept safe as he was right now because right now there was  _no_ safety for him - not when he knew what was coming.

Spectra's words always hit their mark. She didn't lie - she didn't need to when the truth was so  _nasty_. No, Spectra's words were utter truth, and Danny… The Ghost Zone had taken half of his humanity that day, but what if it had taken all of it? Danny was becoming more and more ghostly by the day.

The way he could use his powers in his human form, the way 'Phantom' kept bleeding into 'Fenton', the time powers, and not to mention the way he acted with Andrew on Valentine's Day- He had acted like a ghost who had his obsession threatened. He was becoming more and more ghostly by the day and there was nothing he could do about it.

There was no last minute end-of-the-day fix to this. That day weeks ago when Randy and Andrew had seemed so panicked over him proved that, and when he had talked to Vlad and seen  _fear_ in the man's eyes at how far Danny's powers had come? He… He really was dying, wasn't he? It was slow and taking a long time, but he was becoming more of a ghost by the day. He…

Spectra had been right. She had been right about all of it, but she had been most right at the very end of their 'talk'. He really had said it himself.

Humans and ghosts weren't meant to mix.


	44. Chapter 44

Where do I even begin to apologize for such a long update this time around... I've been quite caught up in school as 'finals' approach so I'm quite sorry, mes chers! For those of you who didn't know I declared The Substitute as my NaNoWriMo project with a goal to finish it by Christmas, so wish me luck on that front! For now, all you need to know is that I have quite a few chapters coming to you tonight. You'll know when I'm done uploading as you'll be left with quite a cliffhanger. Enjoy, mes chers.

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at[ibelieveinahappilyeverafter](http://ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20substitute)

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**Chapter Forty Four**

::

"I could be wrong, of course, but I rather think that Vidya doesn't appreciate having holes worn into her floor like that." The words that were meant to be edged with sarcasm and amusement at all of Randy's pacing were instead made dull and lifeless by the pure fear and worry that surrounded them. Andrew could smile and sprout off wise words and clever lines all he wanted, but Randy would always know the truth of what he said. "Have you considered that maybe he just needs space to work things out on his own?"

"We've given him space." Any other time Randy would feel bad about the snarl he sent Andrew's way, but it was hard to do even that much when he could feel nothing but the  _darkness_ that was swirling and drowning in Vidya. It felt like Randy couldn't even suck in a goddamn breath without dragging in tendrils of that darkness that made him want to gag. "It's been three days since that fight with Spectra - if you can even call that a fight - and I haven't seen him use his powers  _once_ \- Not to mention the lovely little fact that he's been  _avoiding_ the Ghost Zone-"

"I would too, after running into her!" Jerking to a stop as Andrew stepped into his path, Randy only held his tongue when he felt a palm press lightly against his chest. "Randy… Spectra has always been a problem for him. He just needs time to get himself together. He'll talk to us, Randy, he just needs  _time_."

"And what if that isn't what he needs!" Randy tried to step back, frowning when Andrew's hand only clutched at his shirt tightly. "Andy, you can't feel it- Andy, there's so much  _darkness_." He didn't understand. They never understood when it came to things like this. Why couldn't Randy just get them to  _understand_. "It's drowning him. It feels like everything about him is being eaten away by this darkness that just won't  _leave_ -"

"Randy." His name was said calmly and softly, but Randy couldn't stop his breath from hitching at the  _fear_ and  _pain_ that drenched that single word. "It'll be alright. Danny just needs time. Sometimes he needs to work things out himself before he can tell others about it. I won't begrudge him his silence when we've so often done the same."

"I can still be worried." Randy slumped in utter and complete defeat, even with the fear that coated Andrew's words. Even with that, Andrew was right. There was nothing they could do to help Danny when the teen didn't want their help. Maybe soon, but right now he needed the time and space to sort himself out. So why did even thinking that feel so wrong? "We at least need to work on getting him to Vidya if nothing else. Too long away from the Ghost Zone is dangerous for any ghost."

"He'll be alright for now," Andrew sighed, gratitude shining in his eyes as he pulled Randy down to kiss at his cheek. "The Fenton Portal releases ambient ghostly energy into that house. There's a reason  _all_ the Fentons are so attuned to this world and ghosts."

"Fine, but if he starts getting worse, we're doing things my way," Randy huffed, gently removing Andrew's hand from his shirt and holding it. There was still something… All of them carried darkness, but the darkness inside Andrew had never felt this much like- Like sludge.  _Tar_. Thick and choking and looking to drown all it touched. "Andy?"

"Don't worry, Randy." The smile Andrew gave was tense and full of fear. It was a smile that had Randy's heart dropping and everything within him turning cold. "Don't worry. It'll be okay. Danny just needs time. Just time… Hey, it's okay. It's okay because everything is as it should be."

Randy couldn't help but wonder why those words were  _drenched_ in nothing except terror and guilt.

::

Spectra had been right. Spectra had been  _so right_. Danny knew - he had always kind of known - but this was just… He hadn't ever realized just  _how bad_ it had gotten. It had been like this in the beginning, too. That first month of freshman year when he had first gotten his ghost powers had lead to so much terror. He had been afraid of what was happening to him, afraid of getting caught, afraid of people figuring out the truth-

Years later and he was going through the exact same thing all over again. It was the same kind of fear and it was a fear that Danny knew well. God, how hadn't he noticed sooner? Spectra had been right. His powers were out of control. Now that he was looking for it, he realized just how much he called up his powers during the day- Heck, he called his powers up all the time while he was at school!

Someone had probably noticed by now. Lancer had. Danny had told Andrew it hadn't bothered him, but… If Lancer had figured it out then how many other people had? How many people had figured it out his secret that wouldn't be so willing to keep it a secret? He knew he shouldn't let Spectra's words get to him- He  _knew_ he shouldn't, but… But, well… They were his words too, weren't they?

"Ow- Hey, watch where you're- Oh, Fenton." The small burst of pain at knocking into someone vanished at once, Danny blinking up at  _Valerie_. "Thought you spent lunch with the ghosts." Wha… What? What did she-

Oh! Oh, okay, that- Okay. She must have meant all those 'rumors' about him and 'Mr. Riter.' Aiming for a smile, Danny picked up the few books of Valerie's that had fallen, "Come on, Val, buying into high school rumors now?"

"Yeah. Right. Rumors." Okay. Short, clipped, one-word responses. Danny had fought with Sam and Valerie both enough to know that he had done something very wrong.

"Um, here, these ones are yours, right?" The books were jerked out of his hands more than anything, Danny frowning at Valerie's behavior. He knew he hadn't spoken to her in a while, but- But… Actually, he hadn't really spoken to any of his classmates this year. Sure there were little greetings and short questions and things, but he never really spent any  _time_ with any of them. Had it always been like that? He felt like he used to spend time with a few classmates here and there even after he got his ghost powers.

"Thanks." The word was cold and flat, Danny frowning as he studied Valerie. With the truce he had made with the ghosts there had been less of a need for the Red Huntress, but it looked like Valerie was barely getting sleep with how tired she was. What was she doing? Going to school and working a job was hard, yeah, but Valerie could handle it more than enough on her own, so what was she doing to wear her out this much? Things were better with her father, last he knew, so she shouldn't be working that many hours. "Look, let me give you some advice, Fenton."

"Ah, sure? I mean, maybe your advice is better than the last advice I got." The joke fell flat, Valerie's cold look making him shudder. Now that he thought about it… She hadn't called him 'Fenton' in a while. Not since before that brief time they had dated.

"Get out of this before you get hurt." For the first time in a while, Danny felt nothing but utter and complete  _confusion_. What the heck did she mean by all  _that_? "I'm not an idiot, okay. I never was and I'll never get the luxury of it."

"I never called you an idiot?" If anything Valerie was one of the smartest people in Amity Park. Not only did she manage to keep up with her grades and job, but she had learned how to use her ghost hunting suit to the fullest potential. Valerie was many things, but an idiot would never be one of them.

"Then stop treating me like one." The growl that was snapped at him reminded him far too much of the Red Huntress. It was almost laughable at how Danny kept falling for people who had so many different sides to them. "You know it, don't you? The way you're going, you'll get caught in the crossfire that's about to happen and there will be no one to help to you once that happens."

"I, ah… Are we still talking about the rumors of me and Mr. Riter?" Something seemed wrong here. Valerie was tired and looked worn thin. Danny had barely seen or talked to her since she helped with Danielle, now that he thought about it. Why did she look so tired? And why was the look in her eyes so dark and bitter? "Hey, Val, are you okay? I mean, I know we kind of haven't talked in awhile, but-"

"Yeah, I know." Okay, she was definitely bitter about that. "You've barely talked to anyone except that ghost of yours. Even Sam and Tucker are seen without you more and more these days." That… That wasn't  _completely_ true. Danny still did his best to spend time with Sam and Tucker, they were just- They weren't growing apart, they were just becoming different people? "You can't live in two worlds forever."

"Trust me, I'm figuring that out." This was about more than just the rumors of him sleeping with Andrew. What, though?

"This is my first and only warning, Fenton- Danny." Valerie's gaze lost a bit of intensity, Danny frowning as a hand settled on his arm for a second. "If you have any respect for what we had or any care left for me, you'll take my advice and stay  _out of it_." With that befuddling and emotionally compromising sentence, Valerie was turning on her heels and heading down the hall.

Staring after her, Danny slowly shook his head and what… What had that all been about? He knew he had neglected Valerie lately - especially after he started dating Andrew and getting caught up in his ghost life - but he didn't think he had done anything to really piss her off. Was this just what had been happening when he hadn't been paying attention? Was he really drifting away from all his friends in the human world?

Well, he wasn't going to let that happen anymore. Valerie's words, for as cold and confusing as they had been, had confirmed for Danny once and for all that he needed to focus on the human part of his life more. No more ghosts, no more ghost powers, no more Ghost  _Zone_. With the truce in effect, Vlad his friend, and all the ghosts settled down, Danny could devote all his time to just being a regular human kid. He could just ignore all the ghosts-

All the ghosts… Andrew was probably waiting in his classroom so he and Danny could have lunch together. A lunch that Danny was currently avoiding by wandering through the halls as he was.

Later. He'd deal with Andrew later- He just needed a bit more time to try and figure out a way to keep his powers suppressed until he could get a handle on them again. Maybe he could talk to Vlad? Use the Specter Deflector? Something would help him, he just needed to figure it out.

Hm… What had Valerie meant by 'stay out of it'? It made it seem like she was working with someone but she wasn't working for Vlad anymore - Vlad had actually told him that Valerie had stopped coming to him shortly after Danielle was healed. She had been avoiding both Vlad  _and_ him… Both… Had- Had she started to catch onto the existence of half-ghosts? Of Phantom?

There was a reason Vlad had Valerie work for him for so long. Valerie was clever, powerful, and motivated by revenge pure and simple. All of them knew how strong revenge could make someone, too. If Valerie was starting to catch on to what he was… He needed to keep his powers hidden-  _Suppressed_.

As much as he hated it, Spectra's words continued to pick at him. Things would be so much  _easier_ if he was just part of one world.

::

Andrew honestly found it a little amusing how their skills had developed when it came to him and Randy. Whereas Randy had always possessed the ability to catch onto feelings and understand them better than any spoken word, Andrew had always been in possession of  _seeing_ such complicated matters. It wasn't as simple as knowing whether someone was happy or sad, but it suited his needs just fine when he needed to make use of his little talent.

"Remember how I said I worried for your classmates greatly? One of them used the word 'totally' twelve times in their paper. The paper was only two pages and they used totally from a  _narrative standpoint_ twelve times."

Ah, as he suspected. Andrew had been quick to use his human disguise (reality shifting powers were so  _useful_  truly) and catch up to Danny once school let out, and just as he thought, Danny had startled as soon as he had heard him. "Ah, I'm… I'm sorry?" His mate was so precious, truly.

"Now why can't your classmate Star Anderson be that sorry? She's a brilliant student when it comes to computational maths, I've seen that much in the maths homework she chooses to do when I lecture, but her creative writing pieces… Danny, she misused the word 'communication'."

"Yeah, Star is kind of amazing in a lot of ways, some good and some bad." The tension in Danny's shoulders seem to bleed out, Andrew keeping pace and making it seem like he hadn't noticed as Danny shifted closer to him. "How did she use the word communication, then?"

"I'm rather certain she thought it meant debates had only by communists." As he had hoped, Danny slapped a hand to his face, cheeks flushing red and eyes shining with nothing but human joy. It truly was a beautiful sight, but a worrisome one nonetheless.

"So- So I mean, she was kind of right, almost? I mean, talking is going on, so half credit." The words were mangled horrible and lost in Danny's choked and huffing laughter, Andrew finding the sound one of the nicest things he had heard in weeks.

"I rather believe she should focus her efforts on mathematics for now." The laughter increased, Andrew keeping a careful eye on Danny as they began to get closer to Fenton Works and further away from the school. Groups of students and lone walkers were disappearing off into their own directions, Danny only keeping close to his side.

"Maybe, but you'd miss the challenge of trying to understand what she's writing." Well, perhaps- Ah, Danny was already doing better. It had been a risk to do the same thing twice, but Andrew remembered in the beginning how he had helped Danny overcome his skittishness around him. What a shame that it had to be horrible humor and stories about other people to get him to loosen up. Maybe he should pun? Mm. No, he'd save that for a life or death moment. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing?"

"Whatever do you mean, mon cher?" Andrew allowed himself a smile as Danny finally moved to wrap around his arm with his own, pout on his face as he hide behind the gray scarf tightly wrapped around his neck. Somehow, seeing the scarf still there reassured Andrew more than anything else would- Ah, but he knew why it really reassured him, didn't he?

"You're doing that thing you do where you make me try and forget about why I'm stressing out so much. You're just softening me up so I'll tell you stuff when you finally ask!" Both knew that last bit was dramatics, Danny proving it by walking even closer and kissing at Andrew's cheek. Andrew could immediately tell the suppressed snort was from the fact he had kissed stubble more than anything else.

"Ah, yes, thank you for reminding me to shave today-" The whine was truly impressive, Andrew had to admit. "Shall I remind you that I only agreed to keep it for a few days?"

" _An_ drew!" This time it was Andrew laughing, the man unable to resist pulling Danny closer and covering his face in an array of kisses and pecks that had the teen giggling and squealing. "Andy!" Laughing himself as Danny managed to get a hand on his cheek and shove his face away, Andrew looked back in time to see Danny with a fierce pout and flushed cheeks. Was Andrew really supposed to resist?

It took a moment, but Danny finally pressed back into the kiss Andrew had pulled him into. Andrew made sure to keep it brief, parting to press another kiss against the corner of Danny's lips. "I know what you're doing." Danny huffed, not stopping Andrew and instead letting the man kiss at his flushed cheeks. "You're just trying to get me to talk-"

"Really now, mon cher, paranoia is unbecoming of you." Andrew smiled at the look on Danny's face, cupping his cheeks and pulling him up into another soft kiss. "Oh, Danny… I of all people know how important it is to wait until the right words can be found. Especially with something that seems as difficult and complicated as this is."

Seeing that they had made it to Fenton Works even with all their goofing off, Andrew grinned and kissed Danny as he backed him up the stairs. "So take your time." Another kiss and another step up, this time Andrew lingering for longer. "I know you'll tell me when you can." The next step was where Andrew made sure to put all his feelings into the kiss, reluctant to part. "So until then, take as much time as you need, my dear." Danny was leaning forward for the next kiss, a hand on the back of Andrew's neck pulling him in close. Andrew didn't even try to stifle his growl, pushing Danny up the last stair and pushing for  _more_. "Take your time, Danny. I'll always be waiting for you."

" _God_ , whatever did I do to deserve you?" Danny's breathing was as ragged as Andrew's felt, Andrew soothing down Danny's hair and kissing at his cheek. "It must have been something really,  _really_ stupidly good."

"Doubtful," Andrew chuckled, running a hand through Danny's hair- Hair that was  _long_. Long, not short. So there was still time. Long hair, warm eyes, and a grey scarf. He had time. "Danny…"

Blue eyes that shined like ice caught on his own, Andrew pulled forward through a force that was pure magnetism. The kiss, this time, was soft and gentle. Soft, gentle, loving, and filled with just one single question that felt like it was  _begging_. "Danny." The name was whispered between their lips, Andrew's voice catching in his throat as he pressed closer. "Don't hate me."  _Forgive him_.

"Andy?" Danny pulled back enough to speak, frowning, but not fighting when Andrew pushed forward again. "Hey, hey-" Danny pushed at his shoulders, kissing him back before parting. "Why would I ever hate you?"

"I…" Not yet. "It's nothing." This is the part where Andrew lied. It was just for a bit longer, though. Andrew would lie and say it was his paranoia or his ghost instincts kicking in, but… He knew the truth. Long hair that would soon be short, a grey scarf that would be missing, and blue eyes that would shine with-

Andrew knew where the story went from here.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter Forty Five**

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Blunt teeth, heat flushed cheeks that were red, blue eyes, and a few freckles scattered across his face. The bathroom mirror that was still clouded up with fog showed Danny as nothing more than just another human. Except… Except Danny could see where his canines were just a little bit too sharp - sharper than they had been a few years ago. He could see flecks of green in his eyes that shimmered no matter how much he tried to hide them behind his glasses. His red flushed cheeks had spots of blue that could just barely be seen, but… They could still be seen.

How much longer could he last like this? How much longer could he  _really_ last like this when he was being torn between worlds and bodies - between  _lives_. Heh. Maybe that was the real reason as to why he had his ghost half torn out in that alternate timeline of his. Maybe it wasn't because he thought it would get rid of his grief and his obsession, but maybe it was so he could stop being torn between worlds. Maybe it was his ghost half who was supposed to take over and flourish and his human half who was supposed to wither away. If that was the case, then he had succeeded  _spectacularly_.

The Vlad from that time hadn't told him much about it all, either. Some things are better left unsaid, he had said. He had looked away, too. Danny had never been able to tell if that was because that Vlad was lying or because he was showing too much grief that he didn't want seen.

Dan… A nightmare Danny couldn't seem to escape from and a nightmare that was torn between worlds, split between bodies, and twisted in the mind, yet, one had eventually won out. The world of the dead would always win against the world of the living. That was an inevitability.

Looking back to the mirror, Danny stared and… His hair was long. It took a moment for it to really sink in, but Danny's hair was  _long_. It was easily long enough to be tied back if he wanted it to be. He was taller, too. The ghost portal had stunted his growth for a while, but he could tell he was taller than he had been at fourteen. He was definitely more bulked up than he had been at fourteen.

"I'm not turning into him." He was taller. His hair was longer. His teeth sharpened where they shouldn't. Flecks of ghostly energy swirled in his eyes- Green. Green, not red. Except they could be red. They could so very easily be red. "I'm  _not_." His voice was deeper. The high cracks and whines from the last few years were finally tapering off and coming to an end and what was left behind was a deep voice that began to remind him-

A sudden burst of noise that sounded like shattering glass had Danny snapping his head up, surprised to see drops of green-flecked blood were falling into the sink, his clenched first buried in the middle of his now shattered bathroom mirror. Staring at the broken mirror as shards began to crack and clatter into the sink, Danny couldn't resist a laugh. Seven years bad luck, right?

Unclenching his hand, Danny stared at the shards of glass embedded into the skin, slowly picking them out after a moment of just staring. He could probably phase them out, but… No, this was for the best. Piece by piece and shard by shard and soon Danny's hand was covered in dried flecks of mixed blood, the skin completely knit back together.

He supposed there were some things even he couldn't control, his speed healing one of them. Rinsing his hand off quickly, Danny shook the water off before pulling a shirt on and grabbing a pair of scissors. "Hey, Jazz!"

"Yeah, Danny?" His door was opening before he could reach it, Jazz poking her head in and looking very serious and attentive. Danny was honestly a little concerned at how quick she was to respond - how much coffee had she had recently? Coffee didn't do much to ghosts, but it did a hell of a lot to Jazz. "Do you want to talk-"

"Cut my hair." Danny held the scissors out, eyes narrowed at Jazz's confused look. "Either I let you cut it and have it look somewhat decent, or I cut it myself-"

"No, no, no, I never said I wouldn't cut it. Just… Just surprised, is all. I thought you were trying to grow it out?" Jazz took the scissors before grabbing Danny's hand and pulling him along to her room, Danny feeling a bit better at seeing all the arrays of pinks and oranges. Some things didn't really change, he supposed.

"Not really." He hadn't minded it getting long, but then those comments from Spectra and the very idea that he could  _ever_ look like  _him_ \- "Short just suits me better, I think."

"Agree to disagree," Jazz huffed, disappearing for a moment before coming back with a towel and throwing it around Danny's shoulders. "This is a travesty and a waste of hair."

"I'm not a girl, Jazz." The slap to the back of his head was probably deserved, Danny mused. "Come on, just chop it-"

"Hey, hair cutting is an  _art_ , little brother. Just calm down and let your big sister take care of everything." God, to think that Randy and Andrew had acted like that at one time. Danny felt like he should maybe bring that up to them just to see them squirm. It'd be mean of him, but it'd be fun. "Well?"

"Well what?" Had he asked a question? Had he said good instead of well? He felt like it was most likely the latter, but who even knew when it came to Jazz sometimes.

"Well, then, start talking! If I'm going to be your barbar then you should be opening up about everything and ranting about the men treating you wrong in life!" It was harder than it should have been to not laugh. Danny only managed such a feat because he heard the scissors snipping away behind him.

"Oh, it's just so awful. I feel underappreciated, undervalued, underlooked, and under  _them_ -" The tug to a lock of hair had Danny actually laughing before he settled back down after a moment. "Everything with Randy and Andrew is fine, Jazz." At least, on their end it was fine. Danny was the one who kept screwing everything up.

"Any chance they'll be asking for your hand in marriage soon?" Oh, she was never going to let that one go, was she- Oh.  _Ooh_. Danny could- Now  _Danny_ could-

"I don't know, Jazz, any chance Clockwork will be asking for yours?" Silence. Wonderful, beautiful,  _peaceful_ silence.

"How are classes, then? I know you've been enjoying having 'Mr. Riter' teach at Casper." Winning was a beautiful thing, Danny decided. "You're horrible to him."

"He loves it." Sighing, Danny let Jazz tilt his head this way and that. "I'm fine, Jazz, just going through some stuff right now. I'll work it out. Don't I always?"

"Yes, well… Sometimes you need a bit of help." Silence. This time it wasn't as amusing. With each snip he heard and brush against his neck Danny could only think of Spectra's words and his appearance in the mirror and all those broken  _shards_  and they were sort of like him, weren't they? A bunch of broken shards that meant nothing but bad luck. "Are you talking to them about this?"

"I will." He just… He just needed a bit of time to figure out what to say. "I'm not fourteen anymore, Jazz, I can take care of myself when I need to."

"Yes, because sixteen is  _so_ mature." Without a doubt, Danny knew that he was flushing at Jazz's sharp tone. "You know, I could say a great deal of things about your age-"

"I'll be seventeen in less than a few weeks and I've known what I've been getting into for a long time. I think if I can put my life on the line to save this town then I can decide when I'm ready for sex."

The silence was heavy and awkward this time, Danny trying not to growl or say anything else. He knew Jazz was just helping, but dammit-  _Dammit_. He had enough problems about the age gap between him, Andrew, and Randy without Jazz poking and prodding. He hadn't been lying. Andrew had waited as long as possible and it was Danny who had started the talk of sleeping together. If anything, Andrew was  _overly_ careful of him. Danny knew what he liked and knew what he wanted, even if others seemed to think he was 'too young'.

He had been the universe's plaything long enough that he knew just how unfair and shitty life was. He didn't see the point of waiting until he was 'a certain age' when he and his feelings weren't going to be changing. If anything, he was only  _more_ in love with the two - something that was part of the fucking problem.

The silence sharpened, Danny realizing that the scissors were being set down, Jazz's voice soft and quiet when she spoke, "Danny, I know you've been through more than most and I'm not trying to lecture you- Really, I'm not. I just… You can't do this all on your own, Danny."

Standing up and taking the towel off, Danny looked back at Jazz before turning and heading towards the door. "Yeah, well, I don't have much of a choice."

The doorknob bent under his hold.

::

Randy always found it amusing how he felt the cold even after dying. He would have thought that of all things the cold was something he would never have to worry about after death, yet here he was, shivering as he walked through a blizzard torn Amity Park. The cold was sharp and fierce and unforgiving and Randy could feel the ragged edges of pure ectoplasmic energy infused in the very air. It told him all he needed to know on whether or not Danny was using his powers.

It had been two days since his conversation with Andrew about waiting and five since the fight with Spectra and Randy was losing his mind trying to keep to himself and let Danny work this out on his own- The thing was, though- The thing  _was_  that he could  _feel it_. It wasn't coincidence that Randy had found Danny and Spectra. It was the fact that Randy had felt Danny's fear even from a world away.

Randy liked to think he knew Andrew and Danny well. They were his obsession so how could he not? Even if he never admitted it and refused to tell them, they were  _everything_ to him. He knew them better than he ever would himself. He knew all their hopes and dreams and oh, he knew their fear so very well. Right now, Danny's fear felt as if it had drenched all of Amity Park.

While he had agreed to leave it, Randy had also told Andrew that he wouldn't stand by if Danny was in danger. This blizzard… It wasn't by choice. Danny would have no need to summon a blizzard like  _this_. It was his core rebelling against the energy that was building up inside him- Fuck.  _Fuck_. Randy had pushed Plasmius to explain so often but sweet, headstrong Danny never fucking  _listened_.

A half-ghost was completely different from a regular ghost. With the average ghost or spirit there was a default amount of energy that the body produced. There wasn't a set limit because you could always draw ectoplasmic energy out of the air itself, but generally there was a default amount and that amount needed time to refill by sleeping, eating, or even just resting for a brief period of time. Half-ghosts were far, far different.

There was no default amount of energy for creatures like Plasmius, Danny, and even little Danielle. Their human forms constantly produced energy just by being alive and existing, and just like they could use their ghost powers when 'human', their ghost selves could use that 'human power.' Instead of the default amount the energy for them  _built up_. That's why Plasmius was so powerful. He had let his energy build and kept it building for whenever he needed it. That's why Danny had been so weak when he first gained his ghost powers and why he, most likely, couldn't even transform in the first few weeks. There was no energy to his ghost self then.

That's why this - what Danny was doing - that's why it was so  _dangerous_. There may not have been a set amount of energy for half ghosts but there sure as hell was a set limit. A human body could only handle so much and the power that filled Danny put a strain on him when he went too long without releasing it. It was one of the reasons Randy had insisted on giving him training sessions and the reason he was scouring Amity Park with a growing sense of desperation.

If Danny's energy was already spilling out of him then staying in his human form was just going to cause an even greater danger later on. That fear, too… Randy had felt Danny's fear all the way from Vidya. He had been hoping it would lessen as time went on, but today it had spiked and grown even worse.

" _Argh_!" Ah, Randy had finally found him, it seemed. "Why don't they just  _back off_!" Oh, this conversation was not going to go well at all, was it?

"Funny how people worry, huh?" Randy dodged the snowball that went flying at him with extreme force, frowning as he felt the ectoplasm energy that drenched it. His energy was starting to latch onto anything attuned with his ice core, then. "Hey, hey, I'm unarmed."

There was a pause where Danny only stared at him with eyes that were more green than blue before he huffed and turned away with the start of a smile. "You're never unarmed."

"I mean, true, but that's still no reason to throw a snowball at my face." Gathering his energy, Randy took a step and appeared at Danny's side, keeping his flight ability close to the surface as he tried not to sink into the snow. "Jazz try to 'help' again?"

"More like always," Danny growled, Randy shuddering at just how deep the teen's voice was getting. It definitely wasn't unappreciated. A sudden jerk from Danny and Randy scrambled to catch him as the teen fell face-first into his chest. "They're stupid."

"Siblings usually are- No, no, no, I don't want to hear anything from you that you have to add onto that." Randy was quick to cover Danny's mouth, pleased at the smile he felt pressing against his palm and the tired amusement that was dancing along the edges of his fear. "Hey, why don't we go back to Vidya-"

A flash and Danny was suddenly a few feet away and staring at him with that fear shining so clearly in his eyes- Fuck, Randy wasn't even sure if Danny had ran or teleported with how much that fear had knocked him off balance. Taking an unsteady breath, Randy prayed for the storm to cover his unbalanced emotions. "No hot chocolate, then?"

"N- No, I just- I don't want to bother Andy when he's grading homework right now. We, um, we can go back to my place, if you want?" Oh, Danny. Even his lies were coated with terror.

"Danny… You know I love you, right?" The confusion was clear, Danny slowly and hesitantly nodding. "Good, because you're about to hate me, but we need to talk-"

" _No_." The storm around them howled and echoed Danny's anger and fear so perfectly. "Not you too- I'm  _fine_. I'm  _coping_ -"

"The giant blizzard around Amity Park says otherwise!" Randy so badly wanted to stay calm and soothe Danny down, but- His anger and fear were so  _overwhelming_. "Your energy is  _soaking_ the air-"

"I'm not even using my powers!" God, he didn't even know. "I haven't used my powers since that fight with Spectra!"

"That's exactly the problem!"

"I'm just trying to do what everyone wants and be more human! Why can't you be happy for me that I'm trying to be what I should! Isn't that what you want? For me to be  _normal_."  _God_ , they had failed this teen so badly if that's what he thought they wanted from him.

"The only thing I want from you is for you to be happy. That's obviously not the case when you look as if you're ready to fall apart the moment someone touches you."

"I'm fine." Fine?  _Fine_? The teen was shaking in fear- No. No, he wasn't shaking in  _fear_. He… He was cold. Except that couldn't be because Danny wouldn't be able to feel the cold in any of his forms unless his core started to destabilize-

Randy was teleporting the two of them to Vidya between one breath and the next, panicked and terrified enough that he dragged a good deal of the snow and wind with him as they swirled into Vidya. He heard Danny hit the floor across from him with a curse, Randy knocked off balance himself by the sharp changes in the atmosphere alone.

"Wha- Danny? Randy? Why is there snow everywhere- How many times have I told you not to teleport snow into Vidya!" Andrew's worry and concern slammed into him the exact same moment that Danny's fear  _drowned_ him.

"Take me back, Randy, take me back  _now_." There was nothing but panic and fear in those words and even Andrew noticed. Randy watched as the man hurried over to help Danny up, Danny jerking away. "I'm  _fine_ , I just need to go back to Amity  _now_. I swear to god, Randy-"

"You were shivering." Seeing Danny ready to blow up at him again, Randy straightened himself and took a few steps forward, no thought in how threatening he was being and instead just so angry at  _Spectra_ for doing this to his  _mate_. "You are an ice core. You do not  _shiver_ unless your core destabilizes."

"I'm fine! How many times do I have to tell you all that I'm fine before you start to believe me!" Danny near screamed in rage, spinning around to look at Andrew. "Andy, tell him-" Danny's words stopped just as Randy's breathing did.

There was so much fear.

Fear of  _Danny_.

"Andy…" Danny's voice finally reflected the fear that had been building up inside him moment by moment, Randy shaking as Andrew and Danny's fear grew and grew and he could do  _nothing_. "Andy, tell him-"

"You  _idiot_ child." The silence in Vidya was deafening- It felt like it was  _choking him_. "Do you know  _nothing_ of what you are?" Their fear felt like fire against his skin and it  _burned_ \- Why did it feel like it was  _burning_ \- "You know nothing about your powers. You haven't used them in days and energy for you  _builds_ , Danny. It  _builds_. Do you know how much danger you are in right now? Do you even  _realize_!"

The only sound was Randy's words, loud and sharp and  _deadly_. "You  _idiot_." Why didn't he see- Why did Spectra have to attack- Why was Andrew so afraid- Why, why,  _why why whywhywhy_  "You know knowing of what you are and that is going to be your death, Danny. Your power builds and builds an what happens when pressure builds and it has nowhere to go, Danny?  _What happens_! Something's going to give and something is going to have to break-"

"Oh, trust me, that something broke a long, long time ago." Danny's voice was soft and ragged, sharp with anger and hatred and the worst thing was that all of it was aimed at Danny himself. Teeth as sharp as knives that cut no skin but his own. "Why did I ever think you two would be able to understand?"

"N- No, Danny, we-" Andrew's words shook in fear and guilt, the man reaching out and snagging the end of Danny's scarf as he started to turn away. "Danny,  _please_ -"

"If even you're afraid of me then what's the point?" Danny's voice was whisper soft but the energy that poured off of him felt as if it was  _screaming_.

An exhale of power and Phantom was gone from Vidya, Andrew left standing in the middle of the room with the worn grey scarf dangling from his grip.

::

No, no, no, no,  _no no nononono it wasn't supposed to be like this_. He had been trying  _so hard_ to be normal- To be  _human_! Look where that got him! Andrew- God, Randy had screamed at him and tore him down to nothing and he was right. He was nothing but a stupid child that was in way over his head and didn't realize a thing of what was really going on- Andrew-

 _Andrew_.

Andrew had looked at him and there had been nothing in his eyes but  _fear_. Danny knew fear. He knew what it looked like on a face, in someone's eyes, in their very words. He knew fear so well, but he never thought that Andrew would be afraid of  _him_ \- God, was he really- How could he not? The only- The only one who had ever inspired fear to that degree had been  _him_.

Danny didn't want to be here. Danny  _didn't want to be here_. He wanted to be gone. Anywhere. He didn't care. He just couldn't handle- Ghost Zone, human world, it didn't matter he just wanted to be  _anywhere else_ -

The sharp feel of static bursting across his skin was the only thing that registered before it was pain that exploded across his body and stole his ability to even scream. For a moment his thoughts spun as he tried to figure out what happened, darkness the only thing he could see and bright lights around him letting him know he had snapped back into his human form- Why was he so tired all of a sudden? He couldn't have used all of his energy that quickly- He had been flying pretty fast, but not fast enough for something like  _that_ to change him back. God, everything hurt. It felt like he had just flown into another brick wall. He was really sick of flying into walls.

Throwing his senses out as far as he could, Danny shifted and wiggled to try and sit up, panic hitting him when he couldn't. It took longer than he would have liked to realize that he was buried under mounds of books- Crashed. He had crashed into bookshelves, but… He wasn't in the Ghost Zone. There was no feeling of ambient ghostly energy surrounding him and dancing across his skin. There was nothing but the dull, lifeless air of the human world.

So how did he get from the Ghost Zone to the human world? He didn't teleport- Randy might have been able to do that through some weird trick of his, but Danny couldn't teleport between worlds. The only way to do anything like that was making portals and Danny… A portal. He- He must have found a natural forming one and went through it when he wasn't paying attention. Yeah. Yeah- That had to be it.

Because the ability to form portals was a power that he didn't have- A power that he didn't  _want to have_. He couldn't have that power because he had tried- It's not like he just got random powers anymore! He couldn't have it. He could never have it because  _Dan_ had it. Danny didn't, though. He couldn't. He couldn't do that. He  _couldn't_ -

"Bloody hell, are you alright?" The unfamiliar voice had Danny stilling and calming his breathing to near nothing, listening fiercely as he felt books starting to be pushed off of him and, oh. Someone was helping him.

"I, ah, yeah." Wincing as another few books toppled onto his back from above, he couldn't stop a laugh as the man helping him loudly cursed.

"Sorry, sorry, just hold on, okay?" At least it seemed the man hadn't noticed a ghost crashing and a human appearing. "Alright. I'm going to lift this shelf. When I do, I want you to move back."

"Got it." Waiting until he felt the pressure suddenly lift, Danny scrambled back and tumbled over the small pile of books that was surrounding him. Landing on his back and staring at the ceiling, Danny sighed as he took stock of himself. Nothing seemed to be broken, at least- God, he couldn't even run away right. He couldn't do  _anything_ right.

"Are you alright?" Weird, the guy talking sounded as if he had a British accent. Hm, must be a foreigner. Natural portals tended to gather around the Fenton Portal, moreso now that Vlad had moved to Amity Park. "That looked like a pretty nasty crash."

"Yeah, I, ah, I wasn't really watching where I was going and I was sort of in a panic." Pushing himself up, Danny gave as best a smile as he could considering everything that had happened, trying to cover up his pain as the man knelt down across from him. "Thanks for- Ah…"

"Helping? It wasn't much of a problem." The laughter disguised as a huff of breath was more familiar to Danny than anything else. "What on earth had you so panicked that you knocked over two bookshelves, though?"

"I… I got lost." In front of him was a man with jet black hair, an unkempt goatee, soft green eyes, and a worn grey scarf wrapped around his neck. "I got… I got very,  _very_ lost."

A completely human Andrew Riter curiously looked at him with no recognition in his gaze.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter Forty Six**

::

"Sorry again about interrupting your studying, Andrew." Andrew. He was talking to Andrew. Danny was talking to a living and breathing Andrew who didn't seem to have any idea as to who he was. "I didn't think anyone would still be here this late at night."

"Yes, well, technically I suppose I really shouldn't be here either, so I can't complain very much." Andrew's laugh did wonders in calming Danny down from the panic he was working himself into. "That's quite some story, though, James. How did you get so lost when trying to visit your family?"

"Trust me, the more ridiculous it sounds the more likely it's something I managed to do." Alright, okay, so Danny had used his middle name when introducing himself and had come up with some stupid story about getting lost after missing his bus, losing his luggage, and not finding the right directions to his family. Sue him, he was panicking- He was  _so_ panicking. It wasn't everyday that Danny crashed into a library and met a living Andrew Riter- God, of course it was in a  _library_ he met him. Again.

"Well, there's not much to be done for tonight," Andrew sighed, Danny reading through his actions and words clearly. He seemed uncomfortable, but there was also tired amusement. Nothing that could be called fond, though. No, the fondness wouldn't come for a while yet. "Why don't you let me get a bit more studying in and then you can spend the night in my dorm. I'll help you find your family tomorrow."

"R- Really?"  _That_ startled Danny. He knew all the stories, after all, and even his Andrew wasn't one to trust very lightly. "I, um… Yeah- Yeah, that sounds great. Take your time, though. I mean, library, right? I can find something to read to pass the time."

"Good, because I have a lot of studying to do." Andrew sighed and finally pushed himself to his feet, helping Danny to his own. "The few fiction books the school library has should be over there if you want to look through them."

"Thanks- Thank you." Giving as best a smile he could manage, Danny followed the vague directions before veering off and heading for the front desk as soon as he was out of sight. It took everything in him to just keep his breathing even as it sunk in just what had happened to him. It was really the only explanation, but it was so  _insane_ , but… But…

Danny had just time travelled to a time when Andrew Riter was still alive.

Okay, just- Fucking keep calm. He didn't have time to lash out and panic and drag this Andrew who didn't know him into his mess. Danny needed to keep calm, find a way to get home, and then avoid  _his_ Andrew and Randy for the rest of eternity- Information. He needed information first on just what was going on.

Getting to the front desk, Danny made his way through all the papers he could, putting together everything they were telling him. It didn't add up to a very pretty picture. He was in a college library - something Andrew himself had mentioned - and it was near the end of the school year. Danny couldn't much focus on the exact date due to the fact his eyes were caught on the year.

1983.

Okay, okay, so he was a few decades into the past, that- That was fine. That just meant he had stumbled upon a time portal. Those… Those were a lot more rare when they formed, though, and Danny really doubted a time portal would just 'randomly' put him in front of his human mate. Clockwork, might, but… He always warned Danny - even if it was something small and subtle he wouldn't see until later- The Observants?

It had to be. It wasn't like it could have been Danny, after all. Sure, alright, yes, he had time powers now, but they weren't- They weren't anything like what Clockwork could do! He couldn't just make time portals without even  _thinking_ about it! He could stop time and he could withstand the effects of stopped time. That- That was it. That was the limit of his time powers. So how the  _hell_  had he pissed off the Observants enough to end up this far back?

Okay, okay, nothing to do about it now. He just had to wait it out until Clockwork found him. He could do that. Andrew was giving him a place to say and Danny just had to stick to the name James and make sure Andrew didn't remember him - if he remembered him here, then… Well. Clockwork had been very thorough in his lectures of bringing disaster to the time streams. He just had to be careful to not interfere and not leave any kind of an impression - on anyone. Andrew especially.

Putting things back like he had found them, Danny went over to the fiction shelf, surprised by how many titles he recognized. Finally just grabbing one at random, Danny headed back towards the direction he had seen Andrew go off in, chewing at his lip as he did so. Clockwork had said he'd never have actual time powers unless it was under extreme circumstances. Did… Did bottling up his powers count as extreme circumstances?

God, Randy had been right. Bottling up his powers like this had ended up hurting him - it had ended up hurting everyone. Randy had been unsteady and ready to fall over when Danny had left and Andrew- God, Andrew… Randy was right. Not knowing about himself really was going to be his death. Shaking his head to try and clear it, Danny caught sight of the books he had knocked over and winced at their state.

"Leave them, they'll be taken care of tomorrow." Startling at Andrew's voice, Danny spun around in time to see the man give a quiet laugh. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you."

"R- Right." Oh, that- That brought up some-  _Focus_. "Right, yeah, but, I mean, I still kind of feel bad for hurting the books." Setting his own down, Danny moved to at least fix the ones that had fallen open and were suffering cracked and bending spines.

"They're just books, you know." Glancing over his shoulder, Danny almost couldn't stop himself from smirking. He knew Andrew. He also knew how fond Andrew was of  _tests_.

"And that means they don't deserve respect?" Righting and stacking the books, Danny finally let himself smile as he saw Andrew crouch down beside him and help him gather the books. "I thought you had studying to do."

"One can always take the time to help a book." Ah, there was the Andrew he had fallen in love with. "I am rather surprised, though. Very rarely do people care about knocking over a few books."

"I'm a bit unique." There was nothing to be done for the shelves - which seemed to be broken - but the books at least were now nicely stacked off to the side. Standing up, Danny looked for the one he had set down.

"A Wrinkle in Time?" Ah. Aah. Danny had- At  _random_ -  _Seriously_? "Rather conceptually difficult - especially for a teenager."

"Hey, I'm a junior, I'll have you know." Danny huffed, crossing his arms and looking as offended as he could - he had a feeling his smile slipped out anyways. "I think I can handle it. I had a great tutor, after all."

"Let it be known I tried." Andrew handed the book over, clearing his throat when their fingers brushed and then quickly turning around. "Come on, then. My table is over here."

"Okay." Was… Was Danny- Was he  _seducing_ a younger Andrew? Quickening his pace, Danny just managed to see traces of red on Andrew's face and  _holy shit he was_. Ha- Ha! He had managed to seduce Andrew! Twice! "So, uh, big test coming up?"

"Finals." Ah. No wonder Andrew looked like he had one cup of coffee too many. "No matter how much I study I never feel like I'm truly ready."

"Trust me, I know that feeling." Sitting at the table and trying not to laugh at the state it was in, Danny couldn't help it at Andrew's expression. "Sorry- Sorry! It just- Sorry." It was nice to see some things would always be the same.

"I'm usually much more neat than this." Oh, that was a lie. "Although I have a feeling you wouldn't believe that."

"I have a little theory," Danny grinned, leaning forward and smiling. "Anyone who spends their time in a library at night doesn't really  _do_ neat and orderly."

"And how did you come by this theory?" Oh, playing with Andrew was too much fun. It… It was so easy, too. It was like a game. He could pretend this was a game and it would all be okay.

"A lot of test subjects." Holy shit. Andrew just blushed at him  _winking_. Danny couldn't tell if it was because he was tired or because a younger Andrew was just weaker to flirting in general. "So what are you studying?"

"I'm working towards my bachelor's in education with a specialization on English and a minor focus on Creative Writing." Well, if Danny had any doubts about this being his Andrew then they were gone now.

"Sounds pretty boring, but at least you're doing something that makes you happy." That earned him a laugh, Danny smiling and right. He just had to be careful. Andrew hadn't told him everything about his past, but Danny knew enough. He knew enough to be  _careful_. This was an Andrew who had, not long ago, escaped the Sect of the Crow. Depending on when he was, this could also be an Andrew who had just lost Randy.

While the details of Andrew's death itself were sketchy at best, Danny should at least be able to avoid any major emotional minefields.

As the two talked and Danny got roped into helping with flashcards, he couldn't help but let his fear and panic drain out of him the more time he spent joking and laughing with this version of his mate. Jesus… He was already falling in love with this younger Andrew. While their physical age didn't look to be very different, this was an Andrew who had just escaped the Sect and was trying to live as a normal human and Danny was utterly  _captivated_.

This Andrew had the Priest just lurking under his skin and waiting to be unleashed. Danny could see it in how Andrew moved and adjusted, the way he balanced his weight as if he was ready to leap into battle and how he no doubt had multiple knives hidden on his body. This was someone who walked between life and death as easily as he did - more easily than he did, it seemed.

It was kind of sad how Danny could easily picture him staying like this. It… It could happen. Easily. It could just be him and Andrew. This Andrew was human and Danny could keep him alive from whatever it was that killed him. They could live their lives out as humans, happy and together-

Ah, but Danny could never. As much as he wanted to, he could never because  _Randy_. In this time, Randy was dead and possibly not even a ghost yet. As much as Danny craved something so simple and normal, it would never be right without Randy. It… Randy was gone right now and the more he watched Andrew, the more he realized something about the Andrew in his time. The more he watched, the more he realized that Spectra had been right about something else.

He- It was obvious now that he looked for it, but… White hair, blue eyes, a hero complex bigger than the sun itself, and a need to do what was right by those he loved. Not even Danny could be clueless in everything and there were so many parallels between him and Randy that it had been funny at first, but with Spectra's words cruelly swimming through his head all he could think now was that it was a very sick joke.

Not even Danny could be clueless to when he was nothing more than the substitute.

"You know, you don't have to keep agreeing to help me with the flashcards." Andrew had just - correctly - guessed the latest set and was watching Danny with amusement. "It can't be very fun for you."

"My sister used to use me for her flashcards all the time when she went to high school with me," Danny shrugged, shuffling the next batch and shaking himself out of his thoughts. "If you really wanna make it up to me, though…"

"I'm already regretting it," Andrew sighed, smile twitching on his lips. "Alright, go on and ask your invasive and no doubt personal questions."

"What's your favorite color?" The loud and startled laughter was perfect. "Hey, favorite colors are a serious matter!"

"Oh, yes, quite serious." It was a few more moments before Andrew calmed himself, finally giving an answer. "White."

"I knew- Wait. What?" White? No, it was supposed to be purple… Oh. "You know, white isn't really a  _color_."

"No, it's all of them." There was so much warmth and love in that smile. There was just as much pain, too. "I suppose I'm quite fond of purple, but white will… White will always be the best."

"White is pretty great." How had Danny ever forgotten? While he and Andrew had been together first, Andrew and Randy had a relationship that Danny would never be able to touch. There was years of trust and love and tension between them that Danny would never have with them. Just another thing Spectra was right about. "So, uh, what year are you in anyways? Your last year?" Except- No, that couldn't be right. Andrew hadn't finished school, at least, not while alive.

"My third," Andrew smiled, some of the pain leaving his eyes. "I can only imagine next year's finals will be even worse than they are now."

"Always seems to be like that." Third year. Why did Danny keep feeling like that was important? "I have to say, I'm impressed. Not most people would sneak into the school library to keep studying."

"I would have stayed in my dorm but I kept getting yelled at for all my flashlights," Andrew laughed, shaking his head. "Truth be told, I think they'll be glad I'm bringing back a person instead of more books." A beat of silence passed and Danny watched with absolute  _delight_ as Andrew's face flushed a bright and brilliant red. "Not- Not that I- I didn't mean- Of course you're underage-  _Not_ that I was thinking-!"

Danny couldn't have stopped his laughter if he tried and oh, he so hoped he got to see more of this Andrew when he got home. "It's- It's okay, Andy, I know what you meant." Ah, his mate was so adorable. Already his nerves and tension were calm again. Andrew always had been able to do that for him. "Trust me, it's fine, I get it. My parents were the same way with my sister."

"I'm not sure how, but I seem to have quite the talent for sticking my foot in my mouth around you." Oh, poor thing. It was a shame that would one day go away. "Right, a few more rounds of the flashcards and we'll go."

"Hey, I'm in no hurry," Danny grinned, finally holding a flashcard up and flipping it over when Andrew got it right. Again. "This library feels almost familiar. It's nice."

"I don't see how it's familiar considering how, ah,  _unique_ the carpet is." Well, it  _was_ the eighties. Although, Danny could have sworn he had seen this carpet pattern before. It wasn't too recent, but… He knew this pattern, didn't he? "Next card."

"Right. Sorry." Flipping to the next one, Danny looked around the library they were in. The library itself felt  _really_ familiar. Almost like he had been inside it before - been inside it hundreds of times, in fact. "You said you were in third year, right?"

"Yes. Why?" Third year. Why did third year feel so important? Andrew had told him something about this time. Andrew had specifically told him something about the year 1983. "James?"

"Sorry, just trying to remember something." Danny flipped to the next card, smile not really able to stay in place. 1983 and Andrew was studying for finals in his third year. It all sounded familiar, didn't it? He remembered Andrew telling him a story from this time - maybe he had subconsciously remembered Danny?

A library. It had definitely taken place in this familiar library. He really should know that carpet, shouldn't he? It looked so  _familiar_. Like he had seen it before when… When studying. It was 1983. Andrew had died in 1983.

It had been so long ago, but late one night Andrew had bundled Danny close and told him so softly and so quietly that Danny had thought he had dreamt it when morning came. Andrew said he was in his third year of school and studying for his finals. He had said it was 1983 and he had been in the school library.

It had been 1983 during his third year finals when Andrew Claude Riter had died in his college library.


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter Forty Seven**

::

"You know what? I'm going to get some snacks for us. I'll be right back." The words felt fuzzy and far away even to his own hearing, Danny just managing to choke them out as he stumbled to his feet. He was barely able to get around a clustering of bookshelves before he was clutching at his chest and breathing heavily.

Okay, Fenton, okay, it was okay, this didn't have to mean anything. It didn't have to mean  _anything_. Alright- Okay, so, yeah, Andrew was supposed to die this year while studying for finals. That could be in a few days or even weeks! Andrew had always studied ahead of time so it was probably a fair few weeks until finals came along. There was no need to worry. It wasn't- It wasn't like Danny's time powers would send him back to the night Andrew died.

Except what if they had? There was a reason this library felt so familiar to him and that was because he had spent the last two years practically  _living_ in it. Danny knew Vidya so well at this point and even now he knew that the library he was standing in  _was_ her - or at least, it was the library that would become her.  _God_ , Andrew was going to  _die_ soon.

Why would his time powers bring him here? It wasn't like  _he_ could be the cause- God, no. Maybe this was his powers punishing him? Getting into a fight with his mates and making him hate them and now here he was talking to an Andrew who didn't even know him and never really  _would_  could be nothing but a punishment. Although, thinking on it, it could also be his powers trying to help him.

He was too scared to try and work it out with Andrew and Randy and face the fear they had looked at him with so instead he was sent to the past where he could calm down and be comforted by an Andrew that wouldn't pry or worry about him.

Huffing out a laugh, Danny tried to stop his shaking as he shook his head. Of course the only two choices could be punishment or protection. That was his kind of life, wasn't it? Well, he said life…

Why was he  _here_? If this library was meant to be Vidya then that meant Andrew would die in here, but it couldn't be now at this moment. There was no purpose to Danny being here as he couldn't stop something like this. To stop it would mean to risk Andrew never forming. Besides, Danny didn't even know what had really killed Andrew.

He had said he died in a library, but he hadn't said much more than that. Danny had always just assumed the Sect of the Crow had returned. Or, he had, until he had met Randy and gotten to know him. Randy was far too careful and far too in love with Andrew to ever risk his safety. Considering what he knew now, it was unlikely the Sect had found him.

There was always the possibility grief had finally overtaken Andrew. If Andrew and Randy 'died' then Danny wouldn't want much to live anymore anyways. Except, no. Just as Danny had his friends Andrew had his dreams. This was an Andrew who was trying to so badly carve out a new life for himself. This Andrew was fueled by misery and pain and was using it to try and find a way to truly and honestly smile. Andrew would never throw that away no matter how much love he held for Randy.

It couldn't have been an accident, either. This was only a few years after the Priest of Death. Those days of killing were behind him, but the Priest lurked underneath Andrew's skin. At the moment in time Danny was there it was probably stronger than he had ever seen it before. Besides, Andrew wouldn't have been vague and cagey about his death if it was an accident. He would have made self-deprecating jokes and laughed the pain off every time it was brought up. So what happened?

It couldn't have been the Sect, it wouldn't be Andrew taking his own life, it wasn't an accident, so how had Andrew died? The way he talked about it, it was almost as if Andrew had never been able to remember the actual death itself. Fuck.  _Fuck_. Why had Danny never  _asked_ more about Andrew's death? God, he never thought he would need to know the exact date and circumstances of his mate's death.

Okay, okay, just, take it easy. It wasn't the Sect. Good, the last thing Andrew needed was to be  _murdered_  when he became a ghost. It wasn't Andrew who did it, which, yeah, that one was obvious enough. Andrew had never been the type to run. It wasn't an accident - Andrew was far too careful and the Priest was far too deadly.

That left murder, then, just not by the Sect. Andrew said it happened in the library. That meant the library had to be destroyed -  _Vidya_ had to be destroyed. How? No, not how, the real question was what could destroy a library. An explosion, of course, a natural disaster- Could it have been an earthquake? No, Andrew would have laughed that one off. It was definitely murder. That would explain his silence if someone had managed to defeat the Priest of Death.

Who could ever be strong enough to kill the Priest and destroy a library, though? The only other way to destroy a library so thoroughly would be a fire, but… An arsonist, maybe? If it was an accidental fire then Andrew would complain and rant about it all the time. It had to have been a fire set during or after Andrew had been attacked and killed. By  _who_ , though? Who was powerful enough to kill Andrew?

Even as the questions whirled through his head, Danny felt his breathing grow shallow again. The thing was- The thing  _was_ that he remembered Andrew's reactions around fire. It was never too bad, but he always closed up or went quiet if it was too out of control. Too big and only fear could be seen in his eyes. The same fear that…

It was the same fear in Andrew's eyes when he looked in fire as when he had looked at Danny right before he had fled Vidya.

God, Danny had almost forgotten, but Andrew had looked at him with  _terror_. A person didn't look at someone else with fear like that unless it was genuine. It wasn't fear for Danny or what he was going through. No. It was fear for his  _life_. Except- Except that didn't make sense! What had changed to make Andrew look at him like that in such a sudden way?

He had been avoiding the library and the only difference he had since he had last seen Andrew was his cut hair. He looked completely different with his hair cut like this… Or he looked very,  _very_ familiar. Had a part of Andrew remembered this meeting when Danny had seen him last? Why wouldn't he tell him though?

Okay, alright, granted Danny had run off as soon as he was able, but if it was just Andrew remembering his meeting with him then why would he look at Danny with such  _fear_. It was like Andrew had been looking at… At…

At Death.

Heh… Spectra couldn't have been more right about him if she had tried. Danny was such a- He was such a  _fuck up_. He had never thought to ask Andrew or press for details and now the thing he needed to know most- Well, no, he didn't need to know because a part of him already did. A part of him had known since he realized just  _when_ he was.

No matter why or how his powers reacted like they did they were still time powers. There was no loss of control with the handling of time. Portals were formed for specific and definite reasons and purposes. If a portal formed it was for a reason. A portal had formed and delivered Danny to the past on the very night his mate was to die when there should be no cause or reason for him to die. But now Danny was here. Danny was here on the night his mate  _died_ and that meant… That meant…

Danny didn't even notice as his legs gave out, the pain of hitting the floor not enough to jar him out of his thoughts. How could it be? How could any pain be worse than the pain he felt right now? It made sense, though. It all made sense in some sick and twisted horrible way that just wasn't  _fair_.

Danny would have to kill his mate. If a time portal had formed and dropped him here then there was really no other choice. This was the night Andrew died and changing it could change everything. Danny didn't need Clockwork to tell him just how dangerous it was to not follow time's path. He had learned that lesson well enough with Dan, after all.

Danny would have to kill Andrew tonight and the worst part - the  _worst part_ \- was that Danny wouldn't even be able to tell Andrew what would become of him. He couldn't. There had been no recognition when Danny Phantom and the Ghostwriter met and so Danny couldn't tell Andrew what would become of his future.

Andrew would die and he would never know that better days were coming. He would die without knowing that he was going to see Randy again and that they would become  _so much more_ than he had ever dreamed of- That Andrew himself would become so much more! Things were going to be so amazing and so beautiful in the future and it was a future Danny wasn't even sure he would be part of anymore but Andrew was going to be so happy and so  _safe_ and…

There could be no memory of the strange teenager that had met Andrew in the college library during a late night study session. It was too risky to everything for Andrew to remember Danny in any way, shape, or form. That should be- It wouldn't be easy, but it was something that could be done.

Danny remembered his own death. Danny remembered dying and he knew how fuzzy all memories and senses could be in those moments between life and the after. It would be fuzzy, but things still remained. Danny would need to be very, very careful. Andrew couldn't… Did he have to be awake? If nothing else Danny could knock him out and let Andrew have a peaceful death he wouldn't remember-

 _God_. He was fucking planning his mate's death- He had to, though. He  _had to_. It wasn't just Andrew, either. Vidya was meant to go with him and that meant she would need to  _burn_. They would both need to burn for this to work.

"James?" Once again it felt as if his ice had turned against him. For a moment, just a moment, Danny felt the very air inside his lungs freeze, ice crystals swirling and forming in the silence before they were breathed out through fogged breath. "Are you alright?"

"Guess I'm just a little tired." Danny looked at the moderately worried Andrew, drinking in the sight of him. He would never see this living version of Andrew again. "It's been a long day."

"Yes, it seems it." Andrew tilted his head, eyes narrowed a sliver. "I'd be interested to hear the true story if you feel up to it." Ah… His sweet Priest of Death.

"My lie was that bad, huh?" Some things didn't change. Danny never had been able to lie to Andrew, or at least, his lies had never been believed.

"Like you said, it seems like it's been a long day." Fingers warm with blood and  _life_ gently brushed against the fringes of his hair, Andrew hesitant in the way he smiled at him. "Why don't we go back to my dorm so you can get some rest. You can tell me the truth of what you're doing here in the morning."

"That sounds great." Danny was sent here to kill his mate and he had no choice in the matter. How fucking  _cruel_. If that was the way it was… If that was the way it was, then Danny wasn't going to allow Andrew to die afraid. "That sounds great, but I can't do that."

"Oh?" There was a touch of genuine hurt in those eyes and  _god_. If Danny could hurt him this much after just meeting, then how hurt was his Andrew at remembering what Danny was about to do? Because he had. Andrew had remembered. Andrew now knew that his murderer was  _Danny_. "I suppose I can't blame you. We are strangers, after all, and it would be-"

"No, no, your offer of letting me stay with you was sweet." Danny wasn't going to let Andrew die  _afraid_ and fearing what might come next. He couldn't stand that thought. Besides, fear wasn't always an assurance. To come back as a ghost required more than fear. "If circumstances were different then I would have said yes quicker than a heartbeat."

"Circumstances?" Andrew frowned, Danny letting himself smile as he saw the Priest stir behind his eyes. That was right… Let  _him_ come out to play. He would survive this even if this Andrew didn't. "What circumstances are keeping you from saying yes?"

"You." Oh, he knew all the stories. He knew how so many of his ghostly friends had died and it wasn't just fear. It was  _rage_. He knew the stories, he knew his friends, and he knew himself. It was anger, and wrath, and bitterness, and the need for revenge. To come back was to have a  _reason_  to come back. So… So, Danny would give him that reason. "Did you ever read the book White Fang?"

"Where's this coming from?" There he was. Dark and vengeful and ready for a  _fight_. "I did actually read it recently for a literature class. I'm surprised someone as young as you-"

"He didn't put up much of a fight." The air was still. Stale. It already tasted like death. "Randall Nicolas Beaumont." He knew more about them than he had a right to know and he would use it. If he was forced to do this, then he would burn all his bridges here and now. Maybe they would light the way into the hell he was going into for using this against him.

"Who are you." Andrew- No,  _the Priest_ was getting angry. Good. Anger was what would save him. "I don't know who you think you are-"

"You honestly thought you could run? Your  _brother_ was clever in the way he hid you two, but surely you realized the truth, didn't you? You can never run from the eyes of God." Hate him.  _Hate him_.

"And you're a fool if you think you're enough to defeat me." Hello, Priest… Ah. Maybe this was why Andrew was alone when Danny had first met him. He had run all the way across the world and had just started to trust and had met a sweet boy that he could have loved, yet still-  _Still_ -

In the end, Death would always find a way to claim her children.

"Andrew Claude Riter… No, Priest of Death." Andrew would die in this library and Danny would do everything in his power to make sure he returned. It didn't matter if he never got to see or touch this man again, but Danny would  _not_ let him disappear into  _nothing._ He deserved better than that- They both deserved far better than something like  _that_. Randy and Andrew were meant for each other and Danny wouldn't get in the way of that. He was just…

Danny was nothing more than a substitute that was at it's end. Like he had told Andrew in one of his games, a substitute was temporary. They came and then they went once they finished what needed to be done. This… This was what needed to be done.

"The Lord bids your work done and complete. It is time for you to return home to the glory of His kingdom."


	48. Chapter 48

Bonjour, mes chers! A little later than I would have liked, but I hope you enjoy the last chapter to our brief arc of Danny venturing into the past and letting his curiosity get the better of him. Don't worry, mes chers. Everything is as it should be.

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at[ibelieveinahappilyeverafter](http://ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20substitute)

Warnings for: (Past) Character Death, emotional manipulation

* * *

**Chapter Forty Eight**

::

"I see." The words were whisper soft, Danny keeping his eyes trained on the Priest as he pushed himself up to stand, the man brushing off his clothes as he did so. "You weren't very quick to find me, though, were you? I've had years, after all."

"Even the damned should experience freedom once, don't you think?" Ah, ah, Danny was breaking character. He could see it in the way Andrew slipped in instead of the Priest. He could see it in the way his mouth softened and his eyes went kind.

"You could experience it for yourself, too. You're old enough that this would be considered a solo mission so you're no doubt on your own."  _God_ \- Andrew was really trying to save him. God  _dammit_. "Let me help you." Andrew's hand was held out to him, the smile starting to return and his eyes lighting up. "I can do it- I can help you escape like Randy helped me. You can be free. You can start over with a new life and have so much more-"

"Oh? The same Randy that I killed?" Hate him, already.  _Hate him_. Get angry- Angry was what saved you. Angry got things  _done_. "Did living here make you into an idiot, Priest? I just told you, didn't I?" Disbelief warred with rage and oh, no. That wasn't good enough. "Do you really think someone like him could be poisoned by those who know nothing of our world? Of our craft? Do you really think he would die so  _easily_? It was a bit funny, really… The last words on his breath were him  _begging_ for me to not kill you. I think he'll like this more, don't you? Now he'll get to see you again-"

Pain shot through him as his back slammed into one of the shelves, a yelp escaping as books tumbled down on his head. Snapping his eyes open he was greeted with the sight of eyes that were filled to the brim with utter  _hatred_. " _You_  killed him." No. " _You're_  the reason he's  _gone_." No, he wasn't. " _You're the one responsible for this_!" N…

"Are you just now figuring that out?" Danny realized there was a hand against his throat that would have made it difficult to breathe if he were anyone else. As it was, well. He wasn't human, now was he? "The Sect of the Crow saved you from a life of nothing and gave you a home, a purpose, and a God to follow. This is how you repay them?"

"Gave me- They  _took_ from me!" Andrew's words echoed across from the library like the screams of a tortured soul, Danny breathless for an entirely different reason. He had never seen so much of the Priest before. "They took from me  _everything_ -  _You_ took from me  _everything I had left_."

"The only thing traitors have to look forward to is death. Your brother knew that better than most and he couldn't even face it without begging on the ground like a dog. Maybe the mutt's master will be a better challenge." Danny was moving as soon as he finished, breaking the hold on his throat and moving just as a dagger skidded against his cheek and drew blood. If he had been any slower…

"Let's see how you like it when all is taken from you." It was the Priest who stood before him, confident and assured and daggers wielded in hand as easily as Danny wielded his own powers. "The Sect wants to make a point? Fine, I'll make one of my own using their own 'pet.'" The last word was snapped off and torn out of him like sacrilege, Danny only able to stare in awe.

"So this is who you were." This was the Priest of Death in all his glory. This was the Priest at the height of his power with death in his shadow, blood at his fingertips, and words of prayer on his breath. It was the Priest as Danny had never before seen him.

"Ah, so they still tell my story." A glint of steel had Danny falling to the side again, letting a sliver of his cheek turn intangible so the blade passed right through him. "Let me show you just who the Priest of Death was, young disciple."

"In whose name do you kill now, then?" Angrier. Andrew needed to be  _angrier_. "It isn't for the Lord that you so easily abandoned. Do you do it in the name of your pet?" The two charged at the same time, Danny ignoring the sharp stings and cuts he felt tear his skin open as he focused on shaping his ghostly energy around his fists. Not enough to be seen and not enough to fire off a shot, but just enough to give him more power than a human ever should.

When they disengaged, Danny noticed that Andrew was gasping for breath and clutching at one of his sides. It took a moment longer to realize Danny himself was bleeding from four different places, one of them three inches long on his right side that felt as if it was  _deep_. "You were impressive." If he were human, he would already be on the ground and scrambling to stop the blood from pouring out of him. As it was, he only tilted his head and gave a grin that held no life. "Good."

The Priest would survive this.

Danny wished he could lie and say it became a blur, but he knew these memories would be crystal clear until the day he no longer existed. When he looked back on this, he would remember each jagged tear that Andrew's knives had caused and he would remember each ragged breath the man had drawn as he grew weaker, and weaker, and weaker…

The words that dripped from his tongue were poison that burned holes that would never be forgotten. The words he spoke were of a voice that was not his own - could never be his own - and yet he made them sound as if there was no other life. He made them words to  _believe_.

He saw it, too. How each word dug into Andrew's skin like hooks and would never be removed. How each mention of Randy's death ruined his perfect aim and sent his breath skittering towards rapid and fearful. How each smile Danny managed made his hate grow even stronger. He saw all of it.

It could have been hours or it could have been minutes and Danny would have never known the difference. All he knew was that blood flowed down his skin and left impressions he would forever feel after tonight, Andrew shaking and kneeling on the ground in front of him. Danny stared and Andrew stared back, both unable to say a thing before Danny walked close enough for one last kick. It was a kick that had Andrew staying on the ground, completely unconscious. It was the first time that Danny noticed just how battered and bruised they both had become.

Staring down at him, Danny couldn't help his laugh as white rings traveled around his body. "And here I always wondered just who could have defeated the Priest of Death!" His laugh turned echoic and ethereal. It turned into something that wasn't  _human_.

Power shifted and thrummed beneath his fingers, Danny rising into the air and staring at Andrew before he spoke, as if expecting someone to answer his god-forsaken pleas. "Of course it was me. Of course it was the ghost child who never knew what he would become."

Andrew Claude Riter was twenty-two years old when he died from a library fire in 1983. This was a moment in history that would not be changed. A moment that  _could not_ be changed. Danny, for as useless as he was, knew enough about this. The energy of the timekeepers themselves flowed through him and Danny would not insult them by acting like a child now.

With that thought in mind, he gathered all of his energy into his hands. He had an ice core, true, but general ectoplasm energy ran hot. With his emotions right now it was too easy. Hotter. Hotter, and hotter, and hotter, and he would let this place  _burn_. He would burn this library to the ground with Andrew trapped inside just… Just as it should be. Everything was as it should be, right? Ha.  _Ha_. What a fucking  _joke_.

The bookcases standing sentinel on either side of the main doors exploded into green flames that reminded Danny of an old cartoon he had watched as a kid when it came time to showing what 'hell' looked like. The cases crumbled and fell to the side, blocking and covering the door before the fire leapt and spread, hungry and devouring everything in sight.

Danny already felt the heat as he floated back down to the ground softly and slowly, tips of his boots brushing against the carpet before he was shifting to kneel in front of Andrew. The man's breathing was unsteady and staggered, coughs rattling through him as smoke began to feel the air.

Reaching his hand out, Danny couldn't hold back a choked sob as he brushed his fingers against a familiar gray scarf. A scarf that Danny would wear decades from now - a scarf that he had left behind when Andrew had looked at him with such  _terror_. He was killing his mate… Danny killed his mate. He was already worse than Dan had ever been.

Hand twitching, Danny carefully -  _so carefully_ \- rested it upon Andrew's cheek. A little shift and his palm cupped the skin - skin that was smooth and soft and filled out from the last few years of a steady, safe life. A rattling cough shook Andrew's body once more, Danny rubbing his thumb under Andrew's eye before he could even think the action through. Maybe it would bring him some comfort-

"Randy?" Oh… Oh, Andrew. " _You died._ " Danny stared down at Andrew, not stopping the motion and oh, of course. Blue eyes from his ice powers trying to keep him cool, white hair that he had just cut short, and a glow around him that could be attributed to nothing but death.

" _Hello, my little one_." The French words slipped out of him, Danny smiling to himself. Andrew needed to die angry and alone and feeling like there was nothing left. Danny could do that. He could do that. " _You lost_."

" _Oh_." Randy, huh? Danny's voice was deeper, now. If he just pitched it a little bit lower, adopted that soft crooning tone Randy used when they were scared… Danny knew so much about them, after all. " _Randy, I'm scared_."

" _I know, little one_." Danny bent down, brushing a kiss against Andrew's forehead as the man was wracked with yet another coughing fit. " _The Sect found us… I couldn't protect us_ -"

"No-  _No, you did everything for us. Randy, I'm sorry, I wasn't there- I was so scared to tell you- Too scared to tell you that I loved you and now I'm dying without even getting a chance and_ -" A sob shook Andrew instead of a cough this time, Danny staring down blankly as his mate completely broke and shattered to pieces.

"Oh, Andrew." He wouldn't let this man die afraid. " _Ssh, little one, shush._ " Danny curled over Andrew, lips resting against the man's forehead as he moved his hand to press against the back of the other's neck. " _Will you listen to what I have to say?_ "

" _Always_." Good.

" _Good._ " Fight. " _Get angry. Get upset. Get_ _ **mad**_ _._ " Please… Please come back to him. " _Get revenge, my precious one. My sweet angel._ "

Andrew tried to answer before coughing and this time not stopping. Danny watched him, hand pressing harder against the man's neck before he sent a shock of energy into the man. It was just enough to push him back into unconsciousness, Danny crooning softly into his ear, "Bonne nuit, mon petit."

Danny tugged at the scarf around Andrew's neck, moving it to cover his nose and mouth and unable to stop a laugh as he did so. It was just so- Of course. Of course he was nothing but the substitute. That's all that he had ever been. He had just been there to fill in the silence until Randy and Andrew realized what was there for them.

Fuck.  _Fuck_. Fuck Spectra for being  _right_ \- For being right about  _everything_. The sob that shook him took him by surprise, the next one, however, didn't. The cold that had been keeping him safe vanished, Danny breathing in ash and smoke with each heaving breath and coughing it out until tears were streaming down his face and his throat  _burned_.

A sudden jerking sensation had him screaming as his grip on Andrew broke, Danny tumbling across stone floors and gasping as cool air invaded his lungs and fought with the burning air that still resided there. Gasping and heaving and trying to breathe, Danny could only sob and  _break_  as he realized Andrew wasn't there anymore. Andrew wasn't there. He was gone. It was just him. Him alone and sobbing and unable to do anything because he was such a-

A world away his mate was burning from a fire he had created. A world away Andrew Riter was dying from Danny's hand.

A world away his own world was ending.


	49. Chapter 49

Bonjour, mes chers! A little later than I wanted, but have a Christmas update! Happy holidays to you all and I hope you're having a great time, and if you didn't get anything then consider this a present and a hug from me to you! Also, if you wish, I wrote this to the tune of Undertale's Waterfall - the music box version. The last chapter before that was written to the orchestral version of Heartache from the same game!

Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well[atibelieveinahappilyeverafter](ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com)

* * *

**Chapter Forty Nine**

::

" _Did you have another nightmare, mon cher?" Warm fingers slid against the back of his neck, Danny releasing a tension-filled sigh as he let himself lean back into the touch. "That bad, hm?"_

" _Nothing unusual." It wasn't the first nightmare he had about fires and it always seemed to get worse whenever school testing started up again - for good reason. "Him."_

" _Dan." It was silly. It was just a name - his name in a way - but it still sent shivers running down his spine and fear gripping at his heart. "A possibility that, I believe, you defeated years ago."_

" _A possibility." The warm hand left and Danny felt coldness replace it in a second, more shivers running through him as he looked at the fireplace where a small, struggling fire was going. "A possibility will never be anything else_ but  _a possibility."_

" _All possibilities have the potential for success_ and  _defeat." Startling at the sudden jerk around his waist, Danny laughed and settled down against the chest he was pulled against, warmth utterly surrounding and coating him. "What was your nightmare about?"_

" _I became him, I think." Danny breathed softly, eyes fluttering shut as the arms wound around him and held him tight. It made dealing with the images behind his eyes much easier. "You were in it, this time, though."_

" _I could make a very poor pun here." Lips brushed under his jaw, Danny feeling his chest vibrate with a rumbling purr as he tilted his head to better accept the touch. "Let's see, I could start off with being 'the man of your dreams-'"_

" _Maybe finish with that one, too." The laughter bubbled out of him, the dark and terrifying images already feeling easier to deal with. "I was Dan and you were in front of me and there was a fire."_

" _Was I being stupidly heroic or was I trying to join you on your mad crusade to end the world?" Humming as a palm skid down his arm, Danny closed his eyes and thought for a moment. The dream was already fuzzy and disappearing from the inside out, nothing left but the edges that could have been a warning if he was inclined to believe things like that._

" _I think we fought." A palm slipped under his shirt, warm skin pressing against his own making him give another shuddering sigh as the last of the tension bled out of him. Contact was_ wonderful  _just then. "I only knew it was you because of your stupid coat." Chuckling at the huff he felt vibrate against him, Danny let his eyes flutter open. The fire in the fireplace was now truly going and this one gave off nothing but a sense of peace and acceptance. "We fought, you were on the ground hurt, and there was a fire all around us."_

" _A typical nightmare." That warmth that surrounded him started feeling distant, as if it was slowly withdrawing. "Come on, mon cher."_

" _Mm, no." Danny let his eyes close again, grinning as he relaxed. "I think I'll fall asleep right here and drop out of school and become a hermit and-"_

" _Danny." The tone of voice had Danny suddenly cautious, because whatever was about to be said didn't sound as if it would be good. The tone was so_ tired _._

" _Andy? Hey, what's-"_

" _Wake up."_

Eyes struggling open, Danny stared up at stone as the dream settled over him and began to vanish like mist as the sun rose. Blinking and trying to focus his vision, Danny raised a hand to see it was healthy, pink, and human. Taking a quick mental inventory it seemed the worst thing was a killer headache and a stuffy nose that felt none too pleasant. Beyond that, though, he felt… Not peaceful, not even close, but empty. Clean. As if everything had just been washed away by a current far stronger than he would ever be.

He remembered what had happened in perfect detail, yet he just couldn't- It felt distant. It felt like something that happened in a dream, or a dream within a dream. Sitting up and noticing the room he was in, he realized why. The Clock Citadel had always had a strange effect on him when he spent too long there.

It was a simple stone room with a bed, a bookshelf, and a desk shoved against the corner wall. The bookshelf had old paperback copies of Danny's favorite books, the desk had two textbooks from last year's classes that he had forgotten to return, and his old backpack was propped up against the corner wall.

The room was a familiar one and Danny had probably spent more time in here than he had even realized. Clockwork had always been fond of letting him hide away when things got to be too much for even Andrew and Randy to help him through. God-  _God_. He just-

Taking a shaky breath, Danny looked to the chair beside his bed. As expected, Clockwork was sleeping in it uncomfortably. An old, outdated flip phone was loosely held in his fingers and the exhaustion clear in every part of him made Danny remember that for as much as Clockwork was an all powerful ghost with control of time, he was still human in some senses of the word.

"Should I make a joke about the Master of Time owning a phone or should it be about how it's such an outdated phone?"

"Technically, nothing is outdated within the Citadel." Clockwork's response had Danny doubting if the ghost had ever even really been asleep, Clockwork opening his eyes to give a tired attempt at a smile. "Hello, Daniel."

"Hello, Clockwork." Danny expected to feel rage, and hatred, and for the screaming to start pouring out of him, but instead Danny only laid back down and turned on his side so they were still looking at each other. "I don't know where to start."

"I've always found the beginning to be a remarkably good place to try." Clockwork made no attempts at comforting him or offering apologies and that probably helped more than either of the other two ever would.

"Randy was right. Me making that portal and going through it was because I was refusing to use my ghost powers." Right. They had all been so right. He was such an  _idiot_ child.

"Yes and no." Clockwork shifted to properly sit up, Danny noticing that the phone was nowhere to be seen. Time worked so strangely in the Citadel. "The real answer is much more complicated and I'm sure I'll answer it multiple times tonight, so let me content you with the fact that while letting your power build up was dangerous, it wasn't at a level that should have caused this."

"It's what caused a part of it, though." There was silence to that, Danny nodding. He had already known the answer to that one. "You didn't even warn me." That-  _That_ had been one of the things to hurt the most. That Clockwork had seen this all happening and hadn't even thought to once  _mention_ it.

"I thought I had more time." Even if he tried, Danny wouldn't have been able to bring himself to yell at Clockwork for those words, not when there was so much  _anguish_ in them. "I saw this happening, I won't lie to you there, but it wasn't meant to happen so soon. I wanted to take the time to explain to you why we are cursed with this job, perhaps even prepare you in some small way for what would happen, but before I could…

"Your powers are unique, Daniel. Randall went about it in a wrong way, but you do need to know about them. Due to your powers and just how they work, the energy built up. Not only that, but things were changing in this time rapidly. When things change, Time will always find a way to balance itself out."

"Okay." So it had just been bad luck, then? Or was he destined to become Dan no matter how hard he and Clockwork fought? The second one seemed more likely after everything that had happened. "Why couldn't you…?"

"Don't you think I tried?" Clockwork was an ancient spirit that would never be and never had been human. Danny knew that. He did. It was just hard to remember when Clockwork looked so much like he had  _failed_. "I tried everything, Daniel."

"I believe you." It had to be Danny. Everything was as it should be, right?  _Right_? Turning around, Danny stared at the wall opposite him. "Can I be alone now?"

Danny listened as the door opened and then closed softly and he was left alone in his room in silence. Closing his eyes, Danny saw nothing but smoke and fire and everything burning down around him.

There was no warmth to draw him out this time.

::

It was suffocating, Randy decided. It had been hours since Danny had flown off and the entire time the air in Vidya had felt  _suffocating_. It was as if Randy could barely breathe through the feelings that saturated the air and tainted everything like the smoke of a fire that had gone out of control. It was all he could do to keep his fingers running through Andrew's hair, the man curled up in his lap on the couch and looking more like a teenager than he ever had before.

It hurt and it felt like it  _burned_ , but there was no more option when it came to running away from this. Not from them. Not again. "We've really lost this time, mon petit." Andrew's breathing, which had just started to even out, hitched and broke as he shifted and curled to press himself against Randy even more. "Andy, please talk to me.  _Please_."

"I lost." Andrew's voice was wracked with the grief of the dying, Randy pulling him closer and holding him tighter as if that would somehow change things. As if that could somehow keep him together when Andrew was so obviously breaking apart. "I had so many chances to tell him and I never did and he deserved to  _know_ , and now… Now I've probably lost him."

A missed step. A missed step, or a crack in the sidewalk, or even a jump over something that really wasn't there. That's what it felt like. The world falling out from underneath him and a sense of understanding that would never be coming. "Andy-"

"I died." Ye… Yes? Was Andrew regressing back into his memories? Why would he- "No, I was killed." He… "The library fire was started by someone who came to me in the library that night. He looked about sixteen or seventeen, he had black hair cut short, blue eyes that shone with grief, these silly glasses, and a warm smile that made me feel safe."

"Andy, what are you telling me." Because there was no way it could be true, right? There was no point in time where… Where… Time. Clockwork. The  _son_ of Clockwork. "Oh, God."

"He always was such a terrible liar."

::

"If Andrew had died in any other way he wouldn't have become a ghost, would he?" Danny never would have been able to say if it was days or hours before he left his room, but for better or worse he was now floating by Clockwork and near hiding underneath his cloak. He had never felt like such a child.

"There was always the possibility, but most likely he wouldn't have, no." The hand on his head felt nothing like the warmth Andrew gave him, but it felt… It felt like the Citadel. Cool and bordering on impersonal, but with a sense that he would be protected. Always. "You were right in what you did. The anger you caused him is what allowed his spirit to linger, and the ectoplasmic energy that soaked the air form the fire and the energy that you pushed inside of him from your powers is what forced his spirit to form inside our world."

"Does-" Danny swallowed, throat closing up because the answer to this question could change  _everything_. "Is that why we're mates? Because of my energy-"

"No." No? "I knew you would ask so I took the liberty of examining some other possibilities. A thousand different realities and a thousand different lives and so  _many_ ended with you and him, happy and together."

"Not all, though." This could be the one universe where it wasn't meant to be. Danny just had to complicate things and-

"Do you truly believe that?" Looking up, Danny was unable to look away at the hard gaze he was given. "Do you truly believe that this was an accident and not meant to be?"

"I- How could it not? Everything you're saying and everything I did it should add to nothing  _but_ his being forced. It was supposed to be Andy and Randy, not-" The fingers gripping his chin had him falling deathly quiet, eyes wide as he stared up at Clockwork.

"I did not ask the opinion of the  _leech_ that has tainted you, Daniel. I asked for  _your_ opinion." His… Before this - before  _all of it_ \- did he really think him and Andrew weren't meant to be? No. No, he had never thought that. Right from that first fight with him there had always been  _something_. "There is always the possibility of a different love and a different life, but the one you've made your own has ended with those two. What you have done played no part in the feelings between the three of you."

That was all well and nice to say, but Danny still couldn't believe it. He might never believe it. There would always be the chance that he had nudged things, pushed them just so to where it had happened. "Daniel, if you still don't believe me then what about Randall?" What about him? "You have had no part in his past, nor will you ever, and yet he loves you as dearly as Andrew." Does he? "Oh, Daniel…"

"I'm trying." He couldn't even bring himself to cry anymore. Everything felt flat and lifeless, but he was  _trying_. God, at this point he wanted to cry. He wanted to break and sob and tell his mates everything and just try to get a  _chance_ to fix it. Yet the only thing there was this stupid feeling of  _nothing_. "I'm trying, Clockwork."

"Go see them." That finally got a reaction. Fear. "Daniel, please, I promise you with everything that I am that they will see you. They are worried, and yes, Andrew especially. You need to see them for things to be worked out. After that I will tell you all I can about this and anything else that might happen to you in the future."

"Pretty sure that's against the rules," Danny huffed a poor attempt at a laugh, a shiver crawling down his spine. The rules. Walker. That was right, though, wasn't it? Danny couldn't hide away in the Citadel like this forever. As much as he wanted to there were other threats that needed dealing with, other enemies to face, more people to save, and… "I need to see them."

"Yes, you do." Danny wasn't sure how, but between one second and the next he was on the edge of the island Citadel rested on. The jump in his awareness felt like the most natural thing and the hand against his back kept him grounded and clear. There would be time for mysteries later, but right now… "Do not hesitate and do not linger."

"You make it sound like you're about to shove me off the island." Things in Citadel were always so strange. Would this sense of empty and calm leave him once he left the Citadel? Once he left the outskirts of time where nothing had never or would never make sense? "I think I'm scared."

"You will be." That would be okay, though, because he knew how to get rid of the fear. He knew where to go to get rid of the fear. "Daniel, Spectra has escaped Observant custody. You must not linger, do you understand me?"

"Spectra?" Why were they talking about her? Spectra. Oh, they had been talking about her earlier, hadn't they? Or… No. Had they? Why was everything so… "What's the Citadel doing to me?"

"Those who are still mortal weren't meant to spend so long outside of time. I apologize for allowing you to stay as long as I have, Daniel." Outside of time… How long had Danny been in there? "I cannot see your future, Daniel. I cannot see what will happen once you leave."

"You're scared for me." Clockwork saw all. Except he didn't. Whatever he wasn't seeing was more terrifying than the thought of Danny forever spending his life trapped between moments in time- How long had he  _been here_. "I need to go home." He wanted to go home.

"I know." The hand against his back pressed, Clockwork's words soft and comforting over him. "Be swift, little Phantom, and do not stop."

A breath in and it all hit. Sucking in gasping, rattling breaths that were already building their way into sobs, Danny spun around to see nothing but an empty spot of the Ghost Zone. The Citadel was gone- No, no, not gone. Clockwork explained it could become cloaked-  _God_.

Okay, okay, Fenton, take it easy. Take it easy. He could think about his stay with Clockwork later, but right now he needed to stay calm and focus-  _Focus_. Andy and Randy. His mates. His mates who he had run away from. He needed to get back to them.

Andrew could hate him all he wanted and toss him out, but Danny just needed to see that he was  _okay_. That he really had come back and could still smile even if it was a smile he never saw again. Right. Be swift.

The world flew by him and Danny followed Clockwork's advice to the letter, except the closer he got to the library the more he started to slow. As much as he needed - wanted - to see them, would they want to see him? He had-  _God_ , he had  _killed_ him. Would Andrew even know that, though? If he had, he would have never been with Danny. Would Danny have to explain that night to Andrew before he could even apologize.

He was scared. He was so scared and the terror felt like it was  _drowning_ him and like shadows were pulling him under- Shadows… He had stopped flying.

"My, my, Danny, we have gotten ourselves into trouble."


	50. Chapter 50

Bonjour, mes chers! Let's give it up for chapter fifty! I know it's been a long year and a long story, but I feel like we're getting closer to the end, here! So, I hope you stick with me until that end is here!

[Remember to check my tumblr for updates and new things as well at  **ibelieveinahappilyeverafter**](http://ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20substitute)

Warnings for: attempted suicide (jumping), emotional manipulation

* * *

**Chapter Fifty**

::

"My, my, we have gotten ourselves into trouble this time." Tar. That's what it felt like. Danny had never really been able to find the proper words whenever he ran into her, so of course it made sense that he would find them when it was all like this. Of course he would find the words  _like this_  - the words that finally let him say that talking to her was like he was swallowing  _tar_.

"You really don't want to push me today, Spectra." Days and days of not using his powers and now they all rose to his fingertips like a storm waiting to be unleashed and each shaky breath he sucked in he could feel the vestiges of power sinking into his very voice. It wouldn't take much to build it up to a wail and it would take even less to tear her and the rest of this damn world down to pieces. "Just leave."

"Now, why would I do that when you so obviously look like you need to talk to someone." Spectra pouted over at him, Danny baring his teeth in response. "Cute. I have to say, I really didn't think we were this much alike-"

"We are  _nothing_ alike." As she floated forward, Danny's breathing picked up pace and he darted for the library faster than a shot. He needed to get out of here. He needed- He didn't get very far before talons sunk into his skin and he was crashing headfirst into rock.

"Oh, but we very much are, sweet Danny." The talons dug in deeper and Danny  _screamed_. It felt like- Fuck, god, it felt like he was  _dying_. "I told you, didn't I? Remember?" Fuck, fuck, fuck,  _it hurt_. It felt like his very  _core_ was being torn out of him.

"Get off me, get off me, get  _off of me_ -" The scream stopped as Spectra shoved his head down harshly, Danny trying to wiggle free at once. He was held even tighter, Spectra's laugh soft and airy and words brushing over his ear in a soft, confiding whisper.

"Remember, Danny? I told you I was in love once, too." No. "Then I told you that I killed him and then I killed myself."  _No_. "Oh, Danny…" The talons dug into him and Danny felt like he was  _dying_. "You're more like me than you even realize."

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, Fenton, get out of here- He was stronger than Spectra. He had to be stronger than her. He could do this. Fight- Dammit.  _Dammit_. Just  _fight back_. He was stronger than some goddamn  _leech_ that had  _nothing_. All his struggling, though, amounted to little more than a few spasms racking through his body.

"It's alright, Danny, you can be honest with me." Spectra's voice was sweet and kind and a mockery of everything  _good_. "It felt kind of good to kill Andrew, didn't it? It felt good to use all that  _power_." No- No, no, no, no, it didn't! It  _didn't_! "Ssh, it's okay, Danny. Like I said, you can be honest with me. Remember? Remember what I said last time we met? There's a reason you feel so comfortable around killers-"

" _Shut up_!" A burst of power and Danny was in the air, cold surrounding him as he flew as fast as he could. It didn't get very far before raw ectoplasm was knocking him down again and stealing his breath. How the hell had Spectra ever gotten this much power?

"Oh, sweetie." Spectra's disguise rippled and twisting shadows peeked out that were as black as the tar she felt like. "You really think 'Dan' was just an accident? There's a reason he kept  _your_ name."

"Shut up, shut up,  _shut up_." No- No. "Dan  _was_ an accident!" That was a timeline that wasn't meant to be. An aborted mistake that would never come to pass. "He was never supposed to be!"

"Wasn't he?" Another blast of energy hitting him right in his chest had Danny near biting his tongue off as he clutched at what felt like seared and burning skin. "Grow up and stop running from the truth. You're just as bad as he is-"

"I'm not! Dan was a mistake that was just born that way!" It hurt, it hurt so badly, but he couldn't- Fight. Fight back. He couldn't fall. Not here. Not until he saw Andrew. "He was doomed to it all from the start!"

"Oh, you  _child_." This time the energy seared his back and left him choking down a sob, the pain immeasurable. Why did it hurt so badly? Ghost fights never hurt this badly. "Evil isn't  _born_ , Danny… It's made." A flash and talons were digging into his cheeks and jerking his head up, Spectra looking at him with shining eyes. "Think about it. Dan may have had Plasmius' raw power, but it was  _your_ personality and memories that drove him, wasn't it? He was driven to madness and made evil just like you've been."

"I'm not- I'm the hero." The laughter was cold and cruel and it took everything he had to not completely break down. He could do that later, but right now there was a ghost in front of him and this was a fight. "I'm the hero." The laughter stopped. "And you are  _nothing_."

"Really, now? And here I thought we were friends." Grasping at Spectra's wrist, Danny fought to pull his power around him. Fight. That's what he did. He  _fought_. "Open up your eyes,  _hero_. You were made into this. Let's count the facts, shall we?"

"Burn in hell." Danny filled his hands with energy and made it as cold as possible, ice cracking and spreading over Spectra's wrist before… It broke at once. Dismayed, his eyes grew wide as Spectra only looked down at him with pity.

"I'll burn when you do, dearie. Now, where was I… Ah, yes! Our little list. Let's see, hunted for years and years by your parents, threatened and  _hated_ by the only other one of your kind who could understand you, and now tearing yourself apart for a silly little relationship with ghosts- How  _could_ you betray your entire  _species_ like that?"

What? No- No, so, okay, Andrew and Randy weren't alive anymore, but they were- They were still human! Except… Except no they weren't. No matter how one looked at them there was nothing human about those two - there hadn't been for a long time. Andrew, maybe, when the Priest didn't lurk behind his eyes, but Randy… He could never be human.

"Oh, Danny… Didn't you remember what you were taught?" That was right. When he was young and still afraid of ghosts his parents had taught him the rules. "What were the rules, Danny?"

"No keeping secrets from family."

"Mm, I think that one was broken a while ago."

"Always run away from danger."

"Now, now, that would make it hard to do your hero work, wouldn't it?"

"Never talk to strangers."

"Yet here you go coming into this world again and again to that same library."

"If you see a ghost run."

"Oh, you ran, alright. You ran right into their arms."

"Don't play in the lab."

"You died."

"Gh- Ghosts are dangerous."

"And look what you've become." Why was he playing along- Why was he talking to her? Just shut up, Fenton,  _shut up_. "You've become the very danger your parents warned you about. Ironic, isn't it? The son of ghosts hunters becoming a ghost! Why, in fact, it might almost be poetic."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Danny could hear how ruined his voice sounded, cracked and breaking and so  _pained_. "Why me?" Spectra had feasted off of him. She had made him into nothing. Why- Why was she still  _going_.

"I told you, dearie. I'm here to help." A flash of strong energy spiked around them and clung to his skin like sap, Danny gasping for breath as they were jerked out of the Ghost Zone and how much power did she  _have_? "I'm here to help give you that last little push."

"Wha-" Cutting himself off with a hiss, Danny struggled to catch his balance as Spectra let him go, his ghost form snapping away from him as he was left on shaky human legs and clutching at burning and bleeding skin. With how heavy he was breathing, it took a moment for him to realize he was standing on train tracks and oh… He knew this bridge. It was the old bridge for trains that had been shut down after the Freakshow fiasco.

"It's perfect, isn't it? It's secluded, it's out of the way, and it's uch a serene, peaceful little place." Snowflakes drifted all around them and Danny shuddered as they landed on his cheeks. They felt cold… Oh. They felt  _cold_. Oh, no. "Look how pretty, Danny." Hands landed on his shoulders and spun him around, Danny blinking and his breath catching despite himself.

The river down below was raging and filled with cracking and breaking ice and overflowing with all the recent snow that had fallen in and melted. The river faded off into the distance with snow covered hills guiding it away towards a setting sun. Golden light touched the world and it really was one of the most beautiful things Danny had ever-

Click.

A spark that felt like a current shocked him to his core, the feeling fading to one of dread as his heart sank when he caught sight of green and silver metal wrapped around his waist. "Isn't it such a pretty belt, Danny?" The Specter Deflector. "Ooh, that's bringing back some memories, I think. It seems appropriate to use it now, don't you agree?"

"What are you doing." It wasn't a question. He already knew the answer. It didn't stop him from being unable to move, however, the hands moving back to his shoulders and pushing him forward. "Spectra-"

"I almost wished I could have died in a place as lovely as this. And look! If the jump itself doesn't kill you then the current in that river will. It's nice to have assurance, isn't it? All you need to do is suppress your powers for five minutes and that's that." The belt around his waist felt more like a noose around his neck. Why wasn't he fighting back? Why wasn't he even trying to  _run_. "Oh, Danny…"

Danny was walked to the very edge of the tracks, a sharp gust of wind almost tugging him forward before Spectra gently braced him through it. After that, she… She stepped back? "Why are you doing this-"

"Why aren't you running away?" Spectra took another step back, her hands raised and a smile on her face. "See? You've already realized it, haven't you?"

"N-No." It was his choice. She had torn him down to nothing, but she was still giving him the  _choice_. "No- No! I won't-!"

"Haven't you already just by not running? Danny, all you have to do is let yourself fall and that's that. It's over. All of this is finally over and you can put it behind you like a bad dream."

"No- Doing  _this_ would be running away." Danny took a step back away from the edge,  _hating_ himself for how he wanted to take a step forward right after that. "I just- I just killed, Spectra. I killed  _Andrew_. Killing myself would be-"

"Redemption?" N… "It would be poetic, and that writer of yours is all about poetic parallels." No… That couldn't be. Right? "You'd be giving him a forever instead of the limited time you do have together."

"A forever at what cost." Everything felt- He felt unlike himself. Was the Citadel still affecting him? He had already lost so much time. He couldn't afford to lose anymore. "You're only giving me the choice so you can say you had nothing to do with my death."

"Well, yes, but it works out, doesn't it?" Spectra was back in her human disguise, smile wide and red and glasses low on her face. She looked so human. "Danny, you would be a ghost. You have all the assurance in the world and you'd be free to spend forever with those you'd love. If you die now, at this moment… Dan will never even  _be_ a possibility for you. Like I said, evil is made and you're making your own evil just by continuing to breathe."

"Oh, next you're going to tell me all Hitler needed to do was continue with art and millions would have been saved, is that it?"

"Danny. You already have blood on your hands." He could feel it. He could  _feel it_. Danny knew, without a doubt, that if he looked down he would see red. "Anymore, and, well… You were always taking a risk by falling in love with assassins."

Danny stared at her from over his shoulder, not even bothering to have turned around when he backed away. This time he didn't back away, though. He took a step forward. He didn't recognize his own voice when he spoke. "I'd be throwing away everything."

"No, you would be  _gaining_ everything." The scenery really was beautiful. Even with the belt making him feel the cold, it still was so  _beautiful_. The river, even in all of it's danger, looked  _beautiful_ , and Spectra was right. A fall into that and one way or another it wouldn't be  _this_ body to come back out. "I'm giving you a way out of something worse, Danny. You don't belong in this world. You can feel it, can't you, how it's pushing you away… Why do you think you run to the Ghost Zone so often?"

The words settled over him in a way that made him feel as if they were a physical weight. The burns on his chest and back seemed to numb the longer they stood in the cold, Danny staring at the scenery before him longer and longer and… "This isn't right."

"What's that, Danny? You'll have to speak up, sweetie. Or better yet, why don't you just take that last little itty bitty step-"

"This isn't right." He couldn't think right. Everything was so- It was so hard to think and it felt like with each second that passed a noose was tightening around his neck more and more.

"Of course it's right, you're about to become what you've always wanted! That's nothing more right than that!"

"No… No. I don't think I'm meant for that." His head felt like it was filled with fog and cotton, Danny staring down at the raging rivers and slowly -  _so slowly_ \- taking the smallest of steps back. "Evil is made…" Dan had been made. Evil and Dan had been made, but Danny had made a promise.

"Step forward, Danny." He had  _made_ a  _promise_. "This is atonement, remember? Atonement for  _killing your mate_ -"

"He wouldn't want this for me." Everything he had said and done was still clear in his mind, but Danny knew without a shred of doubt that Andrew would never want this for him.

"You aren't human! You aren't a ghost! You're  _nothing_ -"

"No, I'm both. That kind of makes all the difference, doesn't it?"

"They'll never forgive you- Those two will  _never_ forgive you for what you've done to Andrew! Are you really such a fool to think true love can solve all your problems!"

"True love? Come on, Spectra, I didn't know we were in a Disney movie." The fog around his head was lifting. It hurt, but oh, he had become very good at moving through the hurt. "I… They're my best friends. We'll work through this. Somehow."

"It would take  _lifetimes_ to fix this. Lifetimes that  _you don't have_." Spectra no longer looked human. Shadows roiled within her and her eyes could never,  _ever_ be human.

"Hey, you're the one so fond of saying I have 'assurance.' If I'm meant to come back then I'll have an eternity to fix my mistakes with them. If I don't… If I don't then I'll cherish what time I have left with them."

"You really aren't going to jump." The fight seemed to drain out of Spectra, Danny finally sighing and turning around.

"Spectra, I made the truce for  _all_ ghosts. It doesn't- We don't have to be like this." Spectra had been in love too, once. "Let me help you- Let us  _all_ help you."

"You really believe you can help me?" Yes-  _Yes_.

"Hey, I helped the Fruitloop, didn't I?" Danny held his hand out, filled with sorrow at the fact a younger Andrew had tried to do the same. He wouldn't let history repeat this time. He was filled with sorrow, but he was also filled with hope. "Come on, Spectra."

"Oh, Danny." There was still humanity in her- She could be helped! They could find another way for her to get energy, she could help the ghosts and use that psychology degree of hers for good, they could- "You really are a hero."

A hand pressed against his chest and poisonous red eyes were the last thing he saw before he was falling.

The Specter Deflector hummed around him.


	51. Chapter 51

Warnings for: minor character death (for no one you like)

* * *

**Chapter Fifty One**

**::**

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,  _fuck_. He was  _so_ punching Spectra in the  _face_ if he survived this! She could have- They could have- They could have  _done something_ \- Okay, think Fenton, think really, really,  _really_ quickly. What did he have?

He had a body that was more durable than most humans - he might break some bones hitting the water, but he should still survive after the initial crash.

He had a great resistance to cold even with the belt on - it would take him longer to freeze to death in the river.

He was stubborn as  _fuck_ \- he would crawl out of the river with two broken legs and one arm if he had to, but he was  _doing it_.

The current. How did one defeat nature?

A millions thoughts swam through his head and the only one that stood out was that… He didn't want to die. He didn't- He  _didn't want to die_. No- No. He refused. This was not going to be his fate. He wouldn't let it.  _He wouldn't let it_.

A sudden jerk and Danny instantly relaxed his body and sucked in a breath and was ready for the cold water to rush over him and drag him down- Nothing happened. A moment. A moment more. Three moments.

A croon of French words were whispered into his ear, Danny losing any and all tension as a sob was ripped out of him. A pair of arms were wrapped tight around him and kept him from ever hitting the ground. "Randy-" The name died in his throat as he looked up. If he thought Randy had looked like White Fang the last time he had rescued him from Spectra…

A massive explosion had Danny jerking his head to the bridge- No, to where the bridge  _used_ to be. Instead of an old bridge there was now splintered wood and broken metal falling into the river, Danny seeing a surge of purple ectoplasmic energy coat the very air as two figures went falling down.

A blink and Spectra was clutching at her side and completely hidden in shadows,  _Ghostwriter_ floating in the air with purple eyes and a scowl on his face, debris still falling all around them. "You know, I don't quite like giving myself over to my ghostly instincts." Andrew's voice was sharp and crystal clear, Danny able to hear it from as far away as they were. "For you, however…"

"Ah, our dear Ghostwriter arrives to the scene at last!" Spectra was afraid. She was so very afraid right now. "And he brings along his 'brother' as well, I see."

"Words aren't going to get you out of this." An explosion of energy cracked the very air, Danny's eyes wide as he watched the power that hit Spectra and sent her crashing into the river. He had never known  _Andrew_ was this powerful. He had always just acted like an average ghost- Ghost.

"Randy- Randy, let me go, I'm wearing the Specter-" This time it was a crunch of metal that interrupted his words, Danny gasping as he felt energy rush back into him and  _fuck_ he forgot what it felt like to have all his energy come rushing back once it was suppressed. A sense of utter  _cold_ rushed over his skin and Danny welcomed it as his form flickered into Phantom, and oh, that was already so much better. "Did you just tear the belt off of me?"

"Hush, sweet one." Oh, boy. Danny was so not ready for the obsession and care he could feel just  _pouring_ off those words. That just meant they didn't know what he had done. "Let us put your fears to rest."

"Randy-" Danny was let go and a white bubble shimmered into life around him, Danny wincing a bit as he settled before looking up to see the sky had gone dark- No, not quite. The bubble Danny was in was near see-through, but it looked like Randy had formed another one around the entire area that couldn't even be seen through. The world had gone dark.

"Now, now, can't we settle this like adults?" Spectra flicked past the attacks leveled at her in quick succession, appearing behind Andrew and sinking talons into his shoulders. "After all, your mate  _did_ just kill you-"

"I know." Wha… What? "Is that the best you have?" Watching with numb shock as Spectra was once more blasted towards the river, Danny slowly shook his head.

"You knew." Andrew had  _known_. How- Did he recognize him earlier? During their fight back in Vidya, had he realized who Danny was? It would explain the fear.

"I've known since before we became mates." N… No- No! He couldn't have. If he did- If he knew then  _why_? "I've known for  _years_ , Spectra. So I ask you again, is that the best you have?"

"He knew." Andrew had known for years- He had known since before that night when Danny confessed with tears in his eyes and fear heavy in his heart. He had probably known since Danny started visiting him day after day with that silly little hope that something would come of it. "He  _knew_." He should feel happy- He should feel relieved. Andrew had known and they were still together.

If Andrew had known so long and still loved Danny, then that was great! That was amazing! That- They were going to be okay. Andrew knew and forgave him. Except… Except Danny could still feel ash on his skin.

He could feel ash on his skin and smoke in his throat.

"Ooh, and you didn't think to warn the sweet little thing what would happen?" Spectra gave a smile that was sharp and wicked and looked straight to him. "How betrayed you must feel."

Danny hated her for being right.

"You don't get to speak to him." Randy raised his hand and guns formed. Dozens-  _Hundreds_ of guns formed out of crystallic white energy and floated in the sky around them and all were aimed straight for Spectra. Danny didn't know Randy was this powerful. "You don't get to  _speak_."

"We don't do this as assassins." Andrew raised his own arm and just as many knives formed, these made out of purple energy and as see-through as the guns. "Your death is not by the hand of assassins." Death…

"This is our right as set forth by the Ancients." Randy's eyes swirled with power and there was  _fear_ in Spectra's eyes. "You have brought harm upon our mate to a degree that cannot be forgiven. I mourn for your loss and pray that you find redemption."

"Goodbye, Spectra." Ghostwriter and the Mercenary clenched their fists as one and Spectra was no more.

"That can't be it." The words were dragged out of him, but that- That couldn't be it. Months and years of dealing with her and she was just… She was gone. "It can't be that simple." Death couldn't be that  _simple_. They hadn't really- She had escaped like always. No doubt she was licking her wounds in the Ghost Zone and waiting for next time.

The bubble around him faded out carefully, Danny caught before he could fall even an inch. He couldn't stop staring at where Spectra had been. She just couldn't- Randy nudged him and Danny looked up. "Home?"

"I…" Danny looked away, squeezing his eyes shut. They knew. They knew who he was and what he had done and they… "Vidya." How could they even look at him? "I need to apologize to her myself."

A word wasn't said and there was hardly a moment between Danny seeing the destroyed bridge and Danny seeing the front doors of Vidya opening. Slipping out of Randy's arms, Danny flew inside and straight to the middle of the front room - right where he could see bookshelves wrapped all around him.

"Hello, Vidya." It had been only hours since he had been here, and yet so much had changed. Maybe it wasn't even hours, though. "You already know, huh?"

Fluttering little chords hummed and played through his head, a plucking of stringed notes that filled him up and covered him like a blanket and  _shush, little one_.

"I killed him and set you on fire." He had… The last time he had been in his library… "I killed him." Blood coated his hands. "I killed Andy." He killed his mate. "I killed him." He  _killed_ his  _mate_. He… "I…" He killed his best friend.

This time, when he hit the floor and screamed, there was no portal to take him away.

::

" _Was there any way to prevent what happened?" Danny had asked this question dozens of times. He knew the answer by heart. It still felt like he would get a different answer next time._

" _Daniel." Clockwork's voice was soft and gentle and Danny got a feeling he hadn't felt since he was a little boy hiding under trees that towered and touched the sky._

" _I know." Slipping into the air, Danny ducked under Clockwork's arm and burrowed against his side, shoulders dropping when the cloak was shifted to let him hide under it. "Will I remember this conversation this time?"_

" _I don't know." Weeks. Danny had been in the Citadel for weeks and day after day it felt like more was slipping away from him the longer he stayed. "It's not fair."_

" _No… No, it isn't." The cloak was tucked around him further and Danny looked to the mirrors, watching silently with Clockwork. He saw so much._

_A bridge collapsed and Spectra became nothing but a forgotten name in the back of a book that no one would read._

_Three became one as it always should have been and there was no fear or anger to be held and nothing but love to be felt._

_A little girl smiled from the heart and could hold the hand of the one who had hurt her most and she felt no fear._

_Dozens screamed in fear and pain that faded for sheer joy and love as it all was torn apart in a rescue to be remembered._

_One stumbled from the ruin and breathed out ashes and death and swore revenge for the last time and no more._

_One stumbled form the ruin and breathed out apologies and loss and vowed justice once and for all and no more._

_Two met in battle with armies behind them and the fate of the living and the fate of the dead were as one._

_The language of the dead tumbled past lips of the living and a gap that was never meant to be bridged was brought to nothing._

" _You have so much more to look forward to, Daniel." Fingers carded through his hair and Danny closed his eyes and breathed out softly. His breath felt like smoke and ash pressed against his skin._

" _Not yet." That fire was still too close and not even weeks in a place where time meant nothing could heal him. "Time heals all?"_

" _No, it doesn't." He could wish, couldn't he? "Oh, Daniel… The living weren't meant to tread in this realm." No, they weren't. Danny felt as if he could go mad here. It was silent, though. "Just a while longer."_

" _Just a bit more time." He just needed time. Time healed all. He just needed time to figure out what he was going to say. "How long have I been here, Clockwork?"_

" _Four weeks." A month. Huh… "I'm not sure if it counts, but you're technically seventeen now." Oh, he was. "Any birthday wishes?"_

" _I wish…" If he could have anything in the world, what would he wish for? "I wish…" Anything at all. Anything in the world and he would wish… "How long have you lived, Clockwork?"_

" _I was never human." No, he wasn't. Danny knew- Of course he knew. Still… No. Clockwork could never be mistaken for human. "Longer than a human mind can fathom."_

" _Yet you fell in love with humans." It was easy to see- He loved Danny. He loved Jazz. He loved Andrew and Randy. He loved them all. "Why?"_

" _I don't know." The smile Clockwork gave him was amazing. "Isn't that fascinating?" One who knew everything not knowing something? Yeah. Danny would fall in love with that, too. "Just a while longer, Daniel."_

" _I wish that it could be different."_


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter Fifty Two**

::

It seemed a mockery on everything there was that Danny was broken and shattered inside and yet he was still attending school. His entire world had fallen apart, yet here he was taking a pop quiz and sitting at a desk and nodding along to the teacher and pretending like he had a great birthday and like his world hadn't just completely broken apart.

Andrew's classes were the worst, so far. Danny refused to look, speak, or even talk to or about Andrew, only staring at his desk and waiting until the class was over and he could leave. If anyone noticed his behavior and how his 'crush' had suddenly disappeared, no one said anything about it- "Hey, Fenturd." He had spoken too soon.

"What is it, Dash?" Ugh, Danny didn't even have the energy to play shy and scared teenager who got bullied everyday. He only looked up at Dash and- His shoulder was being patted?

"Get some rest, okay? You're looking worse than Mr. Riter, and he's dead." Did- Was- Dash. Dash was concerned about his health? "And, uh, talk to your friends, I guess? Jeez, man, I don't know, it just feels wrong to mess with you when you're like this."

"I… I'm sorry?" This was the weirdest day of his life thus far. It was official. He was apologizing for not being well enough to bully- What  _even_? Dash only nodded and gave him a pat to his head - like he was some lost puppy - before walking away. "What the hell just happened?"

"I think that was our one miracle of high school," Tucker said quietly, staring after Dash with the same confused look Danny  _knew_ was on his own face. "Dash being nice."

"Yeah, great miracle." What a waste. "I'm heading to History before Grover kicks my ass." With that, Danny was turning and leaving before Tucker could try and say anything.

God, his friends were the greatest, but how could he ever look them in the eye and tell them that he had murdered someone? As far as they knew he was like this because of Spectra's death and the fight he had with Andrew and Randy. They didn't know…

"Mr. Fenton, you're- Right on time. Again." Raising an eyebrow at Grover's concerned look, Danny shook his head and took his seat. It wasn't like he was always late for History- Well, he used to be, since the class before this was French and, yeah, no. "Alright, class, notebooks and textbooks out. Today we'll be going over the Foundation of America before moving on to today's- I swear if I hear those songs one more time."

Tuning out the teacher easily enough, Danny got out just enough to make it look like he was following along before looking out the window and staring at the sunny skies. It had been six days since his utter breakdown in Vidya and five since he started coming to school and acting like everything was normal. Today was the fifth day, it was Friday, spring break began tomorrow, and Danny was contemplating running away to Wisconsin.

Before this mess Danny had been looking forward to spending a full week - eight days, technically - with Andrew and Randy, but now… He couldn't bare to look at Andrew since he returned to school and he hadn't seen Randy in just as long. The flashes of white he did see on occasion always happened to be clothes, papers, or backpacks.

It felt like he was driving himself nuts, but what else could he do? Randy and Andrew both knew just what Danny had done in the past and there was no changing it. Danny had killed Andrew and had only been the substitute until Randy got his act together. It was over and done with.

His breath hitched before he could begin to stop it, Danny squeezing his eyes shut and no. No. He would  _not_ have a breakdown in the school of all places. He  _refused_ to have a breakdown in the  _school_.

"-for the last time, Ms. Sanchez, we are not watching the musical in class!" Yeah, he wasn't missing much. Adjusting in his seat anyways, Danny suppressed a wince at the twinges of pain from his back and chest. Randy had patched him up after that final fight with Spectra and his speed healing had kicked in, but it still hurt.

Really, the fact it hurt at all - near a week later - really showed just how powerful Spectra had gotten. How powerful she still was… Her words always hit their mark.

" _Pst_ , hey, Danny?" Alright. First Dash and now  _Star_ was talking to him? How many A-Listers was he going to have to deal with today? "I left my notes in Mr. Riter's class and have a club meeting at lunch. Could you get them-"

"No."  _Fuck_ no, he wasn't going anywhere near Andrew's classroom if he didn't have to. "Get them yourself or have another nerd do it." Ah, silence. Wonderful, blessed silence.

The rest of the day passed in much the same way, no one else trying to talk or bother him, which, really, that was great. Thanks to his ghost hunting career, he even knew which paths to take to duck out of Andrew's sight the moment he saw or felt the other get anywhere near him.

"You can't avoid them forever, Danny." Looking to Sam with a raised eyebrow, Danny shook his head and did she even  _know_ him? "Alright, so, maybe you can, but what's the point?"

"Not feeling any more pain than I already do?" Seeing the look, Danny groaned. "Sammy, it's over, okay? It just… It wasn't meant to be." As far as Sam and Tucker knew there had been a very,  _very_ nasty fight.

"Uh huh. Right. Yeah. Because the whole 'mates' thing just meant short-term boyfriends. Got it. I won't make the same mistake again."

"Did I do something to hurt you, recently? Is this revenge for something? Because it feels like revenge for something." Mates. Mates were for  _ghosts_ , and, well, Danny wasn't fully human, now was he?

"No, I'm just doing my best friend duty to try and knock some sense into you." Yeah, right. "What are you doing for spring break?"

"Hiding in a dark corner and waiting for oblivion." Ah, that was a little too goth. "And playing video games." Better. That was better.

"Good, that means you aren't doing anything important-"

"I am  _not_ letting you kidnap me for some stupid rom-com adventure that cheers me up, shows me the meaning of life, and ends with a 'happily ever after' romance."

"Okay, okay, fine." Walking down the front steps of the school, Danny tried to think of a subject that they could use to pretend to be normal - at least for a little while - before arms were wrapping around his waist. "I'll just let them kidnap you."

"Bonjour, mon cher." Oh- Oh, fuck, no. He was not- Blinking, a smirking Randy was in front of him and touching fingers to his forehead with a smug grin.

"Bonjour." Ooh, he was in so much trouble. "We'll be sure to return him in one piece at the end of the week."

With that, a massive, swirling amount of energy built up around them, Danny's breath catching in his throat as he looked into eyes that were as white as snow. A blink and the energy broke and Danny was no longer in Amity Park. How did he know he was no longer in Amity Park? Oh, simple, really.

He was looking at the Eiffel Tower.

::

Danny was proud to say that he did not break into a sobbing mess and beg to be let back into their lives and for things to return to how they had been. Really, that was the accomplishment of the year, right there. No, Danny didn't do anything embarrassing like that. Instead he threw a fit that had been going on for what was near two hours now.

"Are you guys even listening to me?!" Andrew and Randy hadn't spoken a  _word_ to him. "I don't want to  _be here_. I want to go  _home_ \- Get it?  _Home_!  _My_ bed,  _my_ house,  _my life_! I'm not- We're not- It's  _over_!" He was a bit surprised that no one had been called up to deal with them considering they were in a hotel.

God, it was such a  _nice_ hotel, too. There was a large bed that took up the center of the room, a kitchen nook that looked cozy and warm, and a windowsill with open windows and curtains that looked right out towards the Eiffel Tower. It was- They were in  _France_ and there was no way Danny could teleport long distance like that. He was still trying to figure out how Randy had managed something of this scale to begin with.

"I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go  _home_! What part of that don't you two understand!" Danny hadn't looked at them, and they hadn't spoken to him. What could even be said? Spectra was dead, Danny had blood on his hands, and everything was 'as it should be.' What a fucking joke. "Randy, I swear to fuck, you had better take me home right this second!"

He hated himself. Danny  _hated_ himself. He had been wanting to visit France with these two for  _years_. There had been so many daydreams where the three walked the city streets and Danny learned all about the little stories and secrets and memories and- Fuck.  _Fuck_. "I want to go  _home_."

Danny wanted to go back to the Ghost Zone. "I want to go home to  _my place_." He wanted to go to the section of the library in Liz that he had called his own and read for hours and hours until Randy came to get him for lunch and teased him into chasing after him and played with him like they were kids hiding from their parents.

"I want to go home to my  _things_." He wanted to go to Vidya were all his things had built up over the last few years to where Vidya felt like his room more than his bedroom in Fenton Works ever would. "Listen to me-  _Listen to me_! I want to go  _home_." He wanted to curl up in bed between Andrew and Randy and just for  _a few minutes_ pretend it was all like it should be and…

"I wanna go home." Danny hated himself for the way his voice shook and warbled. He hated the way his fingers twitched and his energy swirled around him. He hated the way he couldn't look at the two he had promised everything. He hated himself. "I just…"

Danny heard footsteps and he closed his eyes and looked away and waited. For screaming, for fighting, for one of them to pin him against the wall and take out every scrap of rage they had on him- Soft fingertips touched his cheek and guided his head back. The fingertips pressed softly against his cheek before leaving.

Worn, threadbare cloth was wrapped around his neck and Danny's eyes snapped open to see that Andrew had wrapped his scarf back around his neck.  _His_ scarf. Their… Their scarf. Andrew's gaze was focused on the scarf, fixing it and adjusting it and getting it just as Danny always liked it. A look up and Andrew smiled at him, a small and heartbroken little thing.

"Andy." Danny's voice cracked and he let it because he realized- He left Andrew alone. Oh, Andrew had Randy, he would always have Randy, but he left Andrew  _alone_. Danny had shut him out for days and then he came back and  _shut him out_. "Andy." He had done such a terrible thing and then he had ignored Andrew. He hadn't given a reason, or an explanation, or even an apology. He had done  _nothing_.

Andrew had Randy, but Andrew and Danny were  _mates_. Proper mates- He had devoted himself to Andrew just as much as Andrew had devoted himself to Danny. Andrew knew what the future held and he had still done everything he had and Danny- God, he might as well have spat in Andrew's face.

"Oh, mon cher." Andrew's hand cupped his cheek and his thumb swiped under his eye and- "Thank you for letting me see Randy again." Tears were already gathering in his eyes, Danny's breath hitching towards a sob as Andrew smiled at him with nothing but  _love_. "Thank you for guiding me to you." Another sob was torn out of him and Danny clutched at Andrew's wrist, the man only leaning their foreheads together. "Thank you for giving me a new life, Danny."

He broke. This time, Danny broke utterly and completely. He sobbed and fell into Andrew's arms, shuddering as he felt Randy hover close by and bundle them even closer and oh, he broke completely. This time, however, he told them. He told them  _everything_.

Danny told them of that first real talk with Spectra in the hallway when Andrew had just became the substitute and she had called him a suicidal teenager. He felt kisses pressed against the faint scars that wrapped around his left hand.

He told them of when she had tormented him with knowledge about the Sanctum and how they had taught others to kill. This time, he knew it was Randy who kissed him so  _softly_ , hands warm on his cheeks.

Sobs became quiet cries and he told them of how she had poked and prodded at the scar that was Dan and had been right when she said he was becoming  _so much_ like him and the only real solution to making sure that never happened… Andrew was the one to kiss him this time, pushing him back into Randy's chest and wrapping arms low around his waist.

The stories spilled out and it became about Spectra making him think he was crazy, Spectra pushing him to make him feel like his powers were out of control, Spectra pushing him closer and closer to death, Spectra making him feel like death was starting to be the only option- He told them that he almost wished he had stepped off the bridge. He told them that he almost wished he hadn't been caught. He told them that Spectra was right.

"She wasn't." The first words Randy had spoken since the school and they were whispered against his skin, Danny vaguely realizing they had moved to where he was between them and sitting on the bed. "She wasn't right about any of it, Danny. Not about you."

"She twisted the lies into truth and the truth into lies." Andrew kissed at his lips, Danny shivering as arms wrapped around his waist and hands wiped at the tears on his cheeks. "Oh, Danny… She was trying to kill you."

Danny had nothing to say to that. It felt like he was out of words and the only noises he could make was rough hiccups from the wake of tears and sobs that had been torn out of him. The silence settled around them and Danny shivered and arched into each soothing touch and kiss that was given to him.

His eyes trailed to the window and it was deep into the night, now. While it had hardly been past three in the afternoon when they had left, it was now closer to midnight here. A hand on his chest - right over his heart - had him looking up to Andrew. "Oh, Danny." There were so many meanings in those two words. I'm sorry, please forgive me, I meant to say something, I'm not angry at you, it wasn't your fault, I'm mad at myself, this was never your fault, I'm so sorry, oh  _Danny_.

"I know." I'm sorry too, you were already forgiven, I should have asked more, I'm not angry at you either, it feels like my fault, I'm not mad at you, this was never your fault, I'm so sorry, I  _know_.

Andrew pulled him into a hug and for a split moment Danny forgot Randy was even there - he was sure Randy didn't really mind that, though. It was- It wasn't on purpose, but it was- For Danny, it had been him and Andrew at the beginning. It had been them trying to figure out how to get something like this to work and blushing and stumbling around each other as if they weren't sure what to do.

So many things had happened that Danny had forgotten that it had been him and Andrew at the start of it all. Randy was so, so, so,  _so_ important. He wasn't… He wasn't sure if he could imagine his life without Randy, anymore, but god, Andrew… It was them, first.

The hug he was given made it seem as if Andrew understood that, too. It was a familiar hug. It was the kind he was given after he had woken up from a nightmare and oh, that was such an accurate description. That was what it felt like, though. It felt like Danny had finally woken up from a nightmare that had been going on for such a long time, but now… It was over, now.

Spectra was gone. Spectra was  _gone_. She could never hurt him again except in dreams of his and even then these two idiots would chase her away just as they had always done.

"Danny?" The brush against his cheek snapped him back to focus, Danny leaning his head back to look up at Randy and oh- Oh. Things were a lot clearer now. "You back with us, petit mec?"

"You haven't called me that in a while." It had been him and Andrew, first, but Randy was  _Randy_. "I mean, not that I'm against it, but it's just familiar, you know? Although definitely keep it up with the sappy sweet stuff- Sappy you is really nice, actually. So, uh, yeah, what?"

"I think that's a yes," Andrew laughed, scrubbing at Danny's cheeks and laughing even more when Danny was forced to scrunch his eyes shut. "You disconnected for a little bit. Are you alright?"

"Oh, uh, yeah? Ye… Yeah, actually. I think I am." It would take time to heal everything that had been done and said, but it was a start. It was a damn good start. "I think I'll be okay."

Just like that, the tension drained out of all three of them and while Danny wasn't sure who laughed first, it was all three of them that ended up a giggling mess on a bed in Paris, France in the early hours of the morning and oh god they were in  _France_.

"Hey- Hey, did you guys serious kidnap me to France for spring break?" It was just- It was  _France_! Maybe this was a late birthday present, too. "Oh, man, we only get a week, we have to see  _everything_ \- I need a picture of us in front of the Eiffel Tower just so I can mess with Paulina, okay? I need to- Oh, man, we need to visit that Cathedral place, too. Um, the Hunchback of Notre Dame one!"

Danny couldn't tell if it was Randy or Andrew that snorted with laughter, but he was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and blame the non-existent jetlag- "Hey, how did you teleport us this far, anyway? Actually, no, I have a better question, can I see where you guys grew up?" Just like that, the mood shifted and Danny hated himself all over again. The hate didn't last very long as Andrew was giving him a very,  _very_ distracting kiss.

"Quit that," Andrew huffed, going back for another kiss a second after he parted. "It wasn't anger, Danny, we just…"

"We think it's time you know the truth." Randy cupped Danny's chin and pulled him up into a kiss of their own, Danny humming and pressing closer for just a second and, okay, he was a bit touch-starved.

"Sorry- Sorry, um, truth of what? That sounded kind of ominous. You guys need to work on things not sounding-" Another kiss cut him off, Danny feeling better at the smile he saw on their faces. "Okay. Okay, what do you want to tell me?"

"It's time you know the truth of the Sanctum and who we are. All of it." All of it. Everything. Hundreds of questions and Danny knew he would get thousands of answers. "Will you listen?"

Smiling, Danny shifted to kiss Andrew before turning to do the same to Randy. He settled between them, something inside of him finally settling. "Tell me everything."


	53. Chapter 53

Bonjour, mes chers! I meant to get this up last night, but then work left me more tired than I would have thought! But behold, a chapter only a week after the last update! A miracle!

Warnings for: emotionally stunted idiots, sexual scenes (nothing explicit, but more descriptive than just kissing)

* * *

**Chapter Fifty Three**

::

Randy never thought he would be in this position in his life - which was saying something, considering his rather overactive imagination and ability to imagine the worst and best of almost every situation. The position he was in, however, had never really occurred to him. That position being a sweet teenager in his lap that he was allowed to touch all he wanted and Andrew, someone he was  _equally_ allowed to touch, sitting right in front of them and dramatically telling story after story after story of how it all began for them.

To top it all off, here they were in  _France_ right where it had all started. It felt right that things should be brought to an end here, too. Feeling Danny shift in his lap, Randy glanced down and almost laughed at how  _captivated_ he was at the story Andrew was telling. Burying his face against the teen's hair, Randy grinned to himself as he heard the spike in the teen's heart and felt the heat coming off the blush on his cheeks. Still so shy.

"Stop teasing him," Andrew scolded, Randy raising his eyebrows when Andrew shifted closer and pulled Danny into a lengthy kiss without an ounce of shame. "Now, where was I?"

"Ah- Mm, hm, um, what?" Mm, much better than that scared, angry little teenager from just a few hours ago. Burrowing closer again, Randy took a breath in, exhaled slowly, and focused. What he felt had him grinning.

That cloud of fear and self-hatred and  _disgust_ that had smothered Andrew had lifted. Oh, to be sure there still tendrils that had tied themselves around him, but he could breathe again. And Danny, oh… His sweet, precious Danny. The darkness was still there - Randy had a feeling darkness would always be there for Danny Fenton - but it was  _his_. His fear, his anger, his loathing, his wrath, his mistakes. His. No one else. It was such a wonderful feeling.

It would take time, but this was a damn good start. Andrew talked and talked and told Danny a story of what had been a very, very long day. As he talked, Danny's bright smile and understanding eyes made the hatred of the memory lessen. It was just a memory, now. What a sweet little hero that had saved them.

"Tell me everything." They told him of their first days in the Sanctum. Andrew told of a nice woman who had come to the orphanage and saw him scared and alone in a small corner that was all he had ever known. She had taken his hand, smiled down at him so  _softly_ , and said that she would protect him now.

"Tell me everything." Randy told a tale of a scared little child that was no younger than three and no older than five and had been taken in the dead of night to serve as a warning. That scared little boy had run and run and then a mad scramble between adult and child and he got the gun first and, well… He was going to repay to them what he had cost them.

"Tell me everything." Andrew told him of how amazed he was that there was a place that wanted him - a place that wanted to  _keep_ him. Randy told him of how he had always planned for escape. Since the first day he arrived, the plan was always to get out.

The stories kept coming so easily, Randy mused. They told of how they fell in love with someone who could only ever be a brother because the Sect could punish you for more than just your lack of faith. They told him of how they agreed it was either both of them together or neither of them would leave. They told of a mission given that Randy would never be able to fulfill, a fire that had been set in the dead of night, a train that felt like it would never stop, and a parting that had near broken them.

"It's rather amusing when I think of that fire, now." Andrew's voice was soft and quiet and his hands cupped Danny's cheeks. Randy could tell that they would probably have to tell Danny a lot of these stories again with how distracted he was. "Fire has given me freedom twice in my life, and each time it helped me get closer to the ones I love."

"Oh. Oh, that's-" Danny shook his head, Randy chuckling as he heard a sniffle. "That's not fair, Andy." Andrew curled against him and cooed little endearments against his skin, eyes flicking up to look at Randy and oh, Andrew was going to be  _very_ distracting tonight.

"Andy's not really one for fair, mon douce. Haven't you figured that out by now." There was another little sniffle, Randy smiling softly and pressing his own kiss to Danny's cheek.

"Well, he already knows the stories after that," Andrew shrugged, leaning back to drag Danny into a kiss that had Danny pushing closer. It took his arms locked around Danny and a foot pressing against Andrew's stomach to separate the two. "I'm helping."

"Yeah, I bet," Randy snorted, looking down to Danny, and, hm… Tell him everything, huh? "You… You two don't know all the stories, yet." The two turned to look at him as one and it served to make Randy smile because oh, for as much as it was him and Andrew, there was something between Andrew and Danny that could never be broken. His precious, precious little ones… It was time to stop lying. "I… I told you that I knew it was poison."

Andrew slipped past him and curled up to his side, Danny turning around to nuzzle against his cheek. It was Danny who spoke, voice quiet, "You don't have to-"

"I think it's no longer a time for secrets." Randy leaned back against the headboard and pillows, eyes slipping shut and oh… Oh, it was so easy to still imagine it. "I knew it was poison because I was the one who gave them the recipe for it." It was so easy to see the way he had been then, full of bitterness and hatred and loathing- Ah, no wonder he had become a ghost. "The Priest of Death was the most well known, but White Fang was even deadlier."

One wouldn't think it with how history was often remembered, but they had proven quite well that history wasn't always the most reliable source. Not even Andrew's legacy had matched his. There was a reason he had been ordered to kill the Priest and that was because no one else would have survived  _his_ wrath. "I dealt in guns, but my poisons were  _amazing_. So many ways to kill someone with the simplest of plants and I remember each and every one of them. I could have just made it myself and taken it and be done with it, but I don't- It wasn't punishment enough? Or maybe I didn't want anyone to find out what a coward I was."

Even now, that bitterness and hatred still prickled under his skin. "Andrew and I went our separate ways and I went to college and lived in a dorm. They were so  _easy_ to charm. It was so,  _so_ easy to make them mad at me. Breaking up couples, bribing the ones who I couldn't charm, threatening those who started to push back. Oh, I made myself the most  _hated_ person." He was still the most hated person.

"It wasn't hard. Just leaving out scraps of paper with scattered plans and recipes was enough. It was enough to make them think I was going to drug them and they thought they were being so  _clever_ to turn the tables on me." The students had all laughed at their plan to shame him out of the school and Randy had only listened from around the corner and that was all it took, huh? Maybe Andrew would think he had kept his promise. "It was meant to be a poison that only took a minute to kill me."

Karma. "It took half an hour for me to die."  _Karma_. "I remember every second of it." White Fang had taken too much to ever be given a gift like death. "It was toxic in every way and I drank it all with a smile and it  _hurt_." Laughter bubbled out of him and he could see it so  _clearly_. "It burned and it was the greatest joke of all. The fearsome White Fang, the great master of poisons, done in by something a bunch of college idiots had made- And they fucked it up so  _badly_.

"White Fang's last and greatest trick was a death orchestrated so no one would ever know it was him who had killed himself, but  _I_ was the one forced to suffocate and choke on all the sins. Why do you think I'm so good at keeping secrets?" His death fear… It wasn't his drink being poisoned or even poison itself, no, no, it was… "I'm afraid of the truth coming out." Heh… Ha! He and Danny got along  _so well_.

"I kind of am, too." Snapping his eyes open, Randy stared at Danny and his watery eyes, absently noticing that Andrew was tearing up as well and buried against his side to hide the fact. "I think that's okay, though."

"I'm so afraid of the truth coming out, and then you two came back for me." Randy pulled Danny towards him, brushing their lips together and cupping the back of his head. "It was only ever supposed to be you two and then me."

"That's what I thought," Danny said, a laugh bubbling out of him that caught Randy off guard. "I thought I was just the substitute for you. I mean, we do kind of even look alike-"

"Excuse you." Andrew looked up and sounded so  _offended_ that Randy really couldn't help the  _snort_ of laughter he gave, trying to choke it back as Danny laughed and Andrew just tsked. "Neither of you are a substitute for each other. For heaven's sake-" And Andrew was now kissing Danny. Again. Randy couldn't complain too much, he supposed. It did make for a very lovely picture.

"If you're quite done ravaging him-" Randy barely set a hand on Andrew's shoulder before he was on his back and twisted awkwardly to the side, the pain immediately forgotten because there were hands and teeth and  _obsession_ \- Andrew pulled back and Randy immediately mourned the loss because that- That had been very nice.

"If you're still doubting, mon cher, please do remember that you're the one he kissed first." Oh, he was using Randy to reassure Danny. Okay, Randy could agree with that. Of course, then Andrew licked his lips and looked down at him and oh, dear. "I would be jealous, but I suppose I have a lot of time to make up for it."

"I think you're killing him." Oh, Danny acted as if he was so innocent, but Randy could  _feel_ the desire rolling off of him as he squirmed closer and happily watched Andrew draw him into another kiss-  _Fuuck_ , someone had gone for his shoulder blades and that felt so damn  _good_. "Hey, hey Randy, I think I figured it out. Wanna hear?"

"'M all ears, petit mec-" Randy's voice cut out with a high whine, shuddering as Andrew's teeth brushed against his skin and oh,  _god_.

"You know- Hey, Randy, you know that all of us have something the other doesn't, right?" A little pushing and scrambling and some very eager hands and Randy was shuddering as he was propped up against Danny, the teen nuzzling behind his ear while Andrew continued on his neck and ooh, these two were going to be the end of of him.

"Yo- You might have to ex- explain that one a bit more-" A harsh gasp was dragged out of him as teeth sunk into his neck, Randy arching and shaking between the two and  _god_.

"Well, me and you understand each other in a way that you and Andrew can't, yeah?" There was a sharp bite to the side of his ear, Randy making a noise low in the back of his throat as Danny's words were mumbled against his skin. "'S okay, I understand your secrets."

"Mm, and you'll understand me in a way he never can." Andrew's voice was low and rough, Randy squirming at the lick to the ectoplasm he could feel dripping down his neck in rivulets. "Isn't that right, grand frère?" Ooh, Randy was so going to hell.

"I think that's okay, though." How the hell were these two still  _coherent_? Randy could barely retain an ounce of thought-  _Fuck_ , these two were going to be the end of him.

"It just means that together we have something that can never be defeated." Andrew gave a quiet little purr as he nuzzled close before pulling Randy into a heavy, heady kiss, Randy shuddering and completely falling into the sensation.

"Mhm. Not even  _Spectra_  could make me doubt that you guys loved me. I mean, she tried, but she realized it was never going to work."

"'S good." Randy was quickly becoming a mess between the two and he wasn't sure how much thought process he had left. "There a point to this?"

"Yes, there is," Danny laughed, kissing at the side of Randy's neck right where Andrew had bitten him. "You once told me that you never really had a name to describe what you and Andrew were, so… How about the name mate?" For a moment, Randy's thoughts were crystal clear. "I mean, we all already know we're it for each other, right?"

"It was a rather rough start, I'll admit, but…" Andrew nuzzled right under his jaw, hips rolling down into Randy's own as the other straddled him and  _fuck_  that felt  _far_ too good. "We made it, didn't we? Others may think us fools, but it only matters what we think, right?"

"So, Randy." Danny's words pressed against his skin and Randy's breathing hitched as Andrew shifted  _closer_.

"Be our mate-" The question wasn't even allowed all the way out before Randy was jerking Andrew into a kiss- Oh, no, it couldn't even be called a kiss, could it? It was tongue and teeth and obsession and  _hunger_.

"Oo, do I get to watch, this time?" Danny slipped around to wiggle in between them, aura prickling at his skin as he was more ghost than human in that moment.

"Are you sure you  _just_ want to watch?" Andrew snatched him up by his wrists and held him out and Randy took the cue at once, bending down and dragging Danny in as far as he could. Gently, his hands wrapped around Danny's wrists alongside Andrew's before their fingers twined together.

Danny was the one to pull away first, gasping and heaving for breath and Randy all too happy to kiss and bite and nip at any and every piece of skin he could get to. There was a strangled swear followed by Andrew's low, throaty chuckle. "'S not fucking fair teaming up on me."

"Oh, but we do our best work as a team." There was another squirm from Danny and even with anticipation and want heavy in the air between the three of them, it felt… Safe. It felt  _safe_. Like Randy could completely let himself go and he knew nothing bad would ever come of it.

"I want that." His words caught them all off guard, Randy huffing a laugh as he kissed Danny first, and then leaned forward to kiss Andrew next. "I want you two. I want- Fuck, I want us all together, and happy, and safe, and trying to stay out of trouble and always failing, but knowing it's going to be okay because we'll be together."

Andrew was the one good with words, but Randy had always been better with the truth. Scared as he was of it, this was the one time he didn't feel scared. "I want to have a home to come back to after I finish my jobs. I want to be able to come back and see you two bickering or teasing each other, and know I can lay down and that I'll be surrounded by you two, and it'll probably be some stupid conversation like asking how my day was and it's going to be so  _wonderful_  and-"

Randy's breath hitched into tears, his smile wide on his face anyways as he stared at these two- At his precious,  _precious_ mates. "I want it to be me, and you, and us, and the three of us together. I want us to be able to know the other is there even when we're apart and know that even if something happens and we can't see each other that we'll always  _have_ each other and-"

This time his words were cut off with a kiss, Andrew's hands on his cheeks and their lips brushing together so  _softly_. He felt Danny slip off to sit beside them, hands wrapping up around his and for the first time in such a long time everything felt so damn  _right_. When he and Andrew parted, Danny was tugging on his hands, leaning up to give him a quick kiss of his own, "Thought Andy was supposed to be the one good with words."

"Hey, I told you, who do you think taught him how to read, huh?" Randy laughed as the two snuggled closer, and, god… They were in  _France_ and they were  _mates_ and- Ah. Ah, right. "So, um, I know there's something more to being mates than just calling each other mates, but I, uh, I don't quite know  _that_ part of it."

"So much for being good with words," Andrew huffed out a laugh, holding a hand out and twining it with Danny's without even looking. "It's a binding ritual, of sorts."

"No blood, though. I mean, you think there would be, but, no, there's not." The disappointment Randy heard made him laugh more than anything. "It's about energy."

"Specifically, it's about sharing energy." Andrew held out his free hand, palm up, and familiar purple energy swirled and gathered in the center. It was memorizing no matter how many times Randy saw it. "It's about giving energy."

"Mhm." White rings wrapped around Danny and the transformation never looked so right on him, black hair fading into white and blue eyes swirling with traces of green. Bright blue energy poured into his own hand that was outstretched, Andrew's eyes changing to a purple that was the same color as his aura. "So… We're giving you everything."

"Just like we gave each other everything, we're giving you everything." Ah… How appropriate. Touching another ghost's energy burned - and if it didn't it felt uncomfortable and invasive. It was meant to hurt and to warn others away. Yet here they were opening up to him. They were… They were giving him everything. "Only if you want it, though."

"You needn't even ask." Sharing energy, huh? No, it was more than that… It was sharing everything- It was  _giving_ everything. All his emotions, all his thoughts, all his fears, all his hopes and dreams, all… All of  _everything_. "You know, there's a lot we still don't know about each other."

There were days Andrew flinched away and Randy couldn't read what caused it. There were times where Danny would bury his way into his arms and act like such a child and Randy didn't know what to do. There were days he could feel them hurting - from worlds away - and no matter how much he ached there was no way to reach them and he just had to breathe and keep going and there was so  _much_. "There's still so much I want to tell you two."

He wanted to tell him everything he had ever hid about the Sanctum, even now. "I want you to know all of it." He wanted them to know his fear and anger and all the times his gun had been over his heart and his finger on the trigger. "Everything." He wanted them to know that he, as a ghost, was stronger than they ever even realized.

White energy poured into his hands and Randy knew that his eyes were the same color. White… It suited him more than it had before. Holding his hands out to each of them, Randy beamed as their fingers all twined together. "I give you everything."

A moment and there were three colors of energy swirling within their hands and then there was one. A moment and Randy was so in love, but felt so far away, and then he was there. It was them. The three of them. It all mixed and swirled together and Randy felt  _everything_.

He felt the rage and anger and  _hatred_ the two held for each other at the start of it all. He felt as it shifted to annoyance and caution, and then to worry, and then to amusement, friendship, fondness, love, so much  _love_ and he felt himself and them as he tumbled into the feelings and it was caution and concern and confusion and curiosity and anger and love and friendship and obsession and fondness and  _love_ and  _obsession_.

As much as he tried to focus on each emotion and feeling and  _everything_ that passed through to him it was so much easier to get swept up in the tide of it all and just let himself… Ah, that was right, wasn't it? It was as easy as falling. It was as easy as closing his eyes and falling and letting himself drown in the two of them.

It would have been so easy to let himself stay lost like this for a lifetime, but it was even better when it began to settle down. When the auras of the three of them settled and wrapped around his skin like they were always meant to be there. A single color faded back into three and while Randy could only see white dance across his skin, he knew that blue and purple were threaded inside and would never again be removed. It was… It was- "Wait, did we just get ghost married?"

"We- Well, I wouldn't quite put it like that," Andrew cleared his throat, flush high on his cheeks at Danny's question. Randy was almost certain Andrew's expression was mirrored on his own face.

"Wait- Wait, does that mean I got married to  _you_  when I was-"

"No!" The laughter bubbled out of him before he could stop it, Randy grinning as Danny buried his face in his hands and Andrew tried to glare at him without letting it turn into a pout.

"I mean, this is kind of feeling vaguely honeymoon-ish, I'm just saying." Danny crossed his arms, glancing out the window and staring for what seemed to be a lifetime before he looked back to the two of them. "If- If it is kind of like ma-marrying- Even a little, then, well, um…"

"It's not," Andrew huffed, blush betraying him and his lie as he nudged at Danny to continue after a moment. "Well?"

"Well… Don't I get a wedding night?" Ah. Danny's smile was small and shy on his face and his expression was utterly opened and relaxed and Randy couldn't remember the last time he had seen Danny so soft and open with them and-

"Oh, my sweet." White Fang itched at his skin and Randy had Danny pinned down in a flash, staring at the wide eyes and hitched breath and turn of his head- "I am going to  _ruin you_."

"'S that a promise?" There was no fear in those eyes. There was no fear as Danny shuddered and a burst of cold left him with a human Danny Fenton under him - only not quite. There was still too much coldness. There was still too much  _death_ for him to ever be human again, but oh, Randy  _loved it_. Hips rolled up into his own and those pleasant feelings of anticipation and heat that had been there before gripped him tight. "Well, White Fang?" Ah, such a dangerous little thing. "Ruin me."

"We need to work on the dialogue with both of you, then." Blinking and startled out of his thoughts, Randy looked over to Andrew the same time Danny did, staring at Andrew's almost  _embarrassed_ expression.

"Oh, please, you just wish  _you_ were the one about to be ravaged-"

"Do  _not_ use the word ravaged, please."

"Ravaged, ravaged, ravaged, ravaged-"

" _Danny_."

The laughter broke out of him, Randy shaking his head and looking between the two of them and it was just so  _right_. "You two are simply something else." The three of them who were so beaten and broken and lost and couldn't even have a serious moment without distancing themselves from it because they were so  _scared_ of what could come from it.

"Does this mean no wedding ni-  _Ah_." Quite pleased as Danny's question was cut off with a sharp cry, Randy lightly licked at the bite marks on the teen's neck that now dripped blood mixed with ectoplasm. The taste was bitter as copper and sweet as sugar as Danny bucked and withed underneath him, Randy darting a glance to Andrew to see the younger lick his lips and watch them in  _hunger_.

"Hush now, sweet ones." He spoke to them both as he let his words sink into Danny's skin, a hand reaching out towards Andrew blindly. It was taken at once. "It's alright to take things seriously, for once. Just for this moment, it's alright to be serious about it."

Nipping at Danny's skin again, Randy smirked as the teen gasped sharply, bright green eyes snapping up to lock onto his own. "Then take  _this_ seriously and  _fuck me_."

"Oh, my sweet. It will be my  _pleasure_."


	54. Chapter 54

Bonjour, mes chers! It's been almost a month since the last update and while I have a great deal to say and excuses to make, all I will say is that I love you all for supporting me when I'm feeling hopeless and hope you enjoy the chapter. (7.7k!)

As always remember I have a tumblr with updates at[ibelieveinahappilyeverafter](http://ibelieveinahappilyeverafter.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20substitute), and that I love you all!

Warnings for: Sex scenes, domestic fluff, and mentions of death and graveyards

* * *

**Chapter Fifty Four**

::

Danny had been quite happy to sleep in for as long as his half-human body was capable of until the sunlight on his face finally became too much for even him. He gave in to waking up with a grumble of complaint, a sigh of defeat, and a few mumbled swears thrown in. It took a bit of a fight to finally sit up, Danny blinking and fuzzily looking down to where two familiar figures were on either side of him and oh, right. They were in France.

That was nice. A little spring trip vacation to France was so sweet of them. They were the best mates and boyfriends Danny could ever wish for- No, they were  _really_ the best. Heh. They were so  _good_ to him. Mm, that had been a fun last night… Danny should make breakfast to thank them. Mm, breakfast sounded nice. It was probably lunch or dinner back over in Amity Park.

Aah, it would be nice to be away from Amity Park for a while. Everything was just so complicated and tangled in Amity Park, and, really, taking a break after what had just happened- Yeah. He needed the week off from everything. He hoped his friends and family would understand. Heh. Ha! His friends and family who were still worried about him and here he had just been kidnapped by ghosts off the front steps of the school. He, the son of ghost hunters, had been kidnapped by ghosts. Ha. That was kind of-

" _Fuck_." Danny was off the bed in a flash and scrambling for his pants, digging through pockets until he managed to pull out his phone and dial up his mom's phone number as quick as he could. As soon as it answered he was speaking as quick as he could. "It's a lie I wasn't kidnapped by ghosts!"

There was a painfully long silence before Maddie was finally making a noise that was close to a grunt, and, what? " _It's not kidnapping when they had our permission_." Wha- Those traitors!

"Mom! I can't believe you! You sold out your only male heir and child to  _ghosts_ -"

" _If we're being technical, Jazz is heir since she's our firstborn_." Betrayers! " _Thank you for calling us hours later at four in the morning, however. It's nice to know you're safe._ "

"That's a very dark tone, mother dearest- Four? Like, four in the morning it's still dark out four?" Danny took the stony silence as a yes and, right. Spotting a clock he saw it was about eleven in the morning and… Danny had no idea what the time difference was, actually. "Are we ahead or behind you- Wait, of course we're ahead, otherwise it'd be four in the morning of the day I left, which wouldn't make sense. Unless we time travelled. That'd be- That'd be interesting. Oh, that would explain-"

There was a click that echoed in his ear for a moment, Danny pulling his phone away and staring down at where it had said the call had ended. It took a minute for the image to really sink in, Danny finally huffing. "She hung up on me. What kind of mother hangs up on her own son, I ask you. It's just- That's so rude!"

"Probably a mother who wants more sleep." Ah, Randy was up. Turning back, Danny shuddered at the warmth that coated his back, Randy pressed up against him with arms wrapped around his shoulders. "Mm, bonjour."

"Bonjour," Danny giggled -  _giggled_ \- as he cuddled back into the warmth and, okay, fuck it. He would have another breakdown later, but he was in  _France_ and just got ghost married last night- Just had his  _honeymoon_  last night and heh- Heh… He was seventeen and had defeated a king, it was legal! Wait. "What's the age to have sex in France?"

"Age of consent is fifteen," Randy yawned, nuzzling behind Danny's ear with a quiet little purr. "We're seven hours ahead of Amity Park, by the way."

"I knew you were listening in on my phone calls. You always listen in on my phone calls- Breakfast. I was gonna make breakfast. Hey, what should we make for breakfast- Oh! You should make those little heart-shaped pancakes. Those were really, really good. Like, stupidly good- Are you laughing?"

Randy was laughing at him. Why was Randy laughing at him? It felt like Randy should not be- Hel _lo_  that was certainly a nice first kiss to have in the morning. Danny felt no shame in pressing back and squirming around so he was properly sitting in Randy's lap and pressed up against him. When they finally parted after what was probably an eternity, Randy gave him such a soft, lovestruck smile. It was beautiful.

"Mm, so, if you want to kiss me more instead of making breakfast with me I'm like, I'm totally fine with that. Just to let you know."

"I'm sure," Randy said, smile warm on his face as he cupped Danny's cheek, thumb rubbing against the skin. "It's nice to have you back."

"Huh?" Oh, okay, he was being distracted with another kiss, that- That was fine. Great- Oh, maybe Randy meant back like he felt like himself? Danny felt more like himself now. At least, more than he had- Ooh, that was a  _really_ nice kiss.

"Mm, would you like to guess what we're going to do next?" Well, all three of them were still naked and Danny was really liking those kisses, so… "Me and you are going to curl up over by that window seat over there, in full view of everyone, and… I'm going to change your bandages-"

"You're so  _mean_." Danny pouted as Randy laughed himself sick and  _honestly_. "I think this is where I say that you're not good for my heart."

"As if you're any better for mine." Yeah, well. Danny wasn't going to admit to that. "I'll take your silence for agreement. Pants?"

"Mm… Yes." Danny scrambled to the end of the bed to reach his pants, laughing at Randy's panicked yelp when the man caught him from falling. "Merci."

"You are a  _terror_. Come on, to the window seat over there. I'll get the first aid kit." Randy brought a first aid kit on their trip- Yeah, no, actually, that made a hell of a lot of sense.

"Hey, you know what we should be getting back to? My parents betraying me and letting me be kidnapped by ghosts- Not even that, they practically  _handed_ me over to your guys." Oh, Randy wasn't putting any clothes on. Yeah, okay. That was good.

"We weren't going to take you for a week without letting your parents know. Besides, it helps that they love Andrew more than they love you." That-! Dammit, that was probably true. "Are you going to be moving your gaze up any time soon?"

"Didn't plan on it- Aw." Danny pouted as Randy slipped a pair of boxers on, the man rolling his eyes as he flew over to sit by Danny and start snipping off the bandages. "How bad is it?"

"Not very. I'm still going to wrap it, just to be sure, but you should probably be back to a hundred by the end of this week," Randy explained, pausing and pressing a kiss to one of the  _claw_ marks. "We killed her too quickly."

"Dragging it out wouldn't have done any of us any good." Shivering at another kiss, Danny rested his hand lightly on Randy's head, playing with a few strands of hair. "That's how she started making me go crazy, I think. When she touched me like that, she infected me with some of her own energy."

"I was hoping I was wrong with that one." Wrong? He knew? "I didn't know for sure, but it always felt like a part of her shadow had crossed into your own- Her darkness infecting yours." Okay, that was just-

"Why do you always make it sound like you can feel my emotions?" It was a little bit weird, equal parts cool, and mostly irritating because Randy always seemed to  _know_.

"That's because I can." ...Huh. "Did you not know I was an empath? It's one of my powers. I've always had a talent for figuring out what someone was feeling. It got amplified when I died, so I can feel the emotions of ghost and humans, now. Ghosts are easier to sense, though, and you two I can always feel."

"Oh my god. That makes so much sense." That made  _so_ much sense. "I thought it was just some super secret awesome assassin power." Hm. Danny took it as a victory that Randy was laughing. Him laughing was good. It… It was good.

"Don't you two ever shut up?" Any heat in the words were completely taken out when Randy and Danny both had coffee cups pressed into their hands, Andrew curling up against Randy's back and yawning.

"This seat is not big enough for three people." Randy had a point. Danny would fix it. "That doesn't mean sit in my lap."

"Well, you still need to change my bandages, so I thought this was the better option." Jeez, the wound had even bled into his human form and lasted  _this_ long, but Danny was certain Randy would get him back to rights. "Where should we go first after this?"

"Back to bed," Andrew yawned, Danny  _grinning_ as he looked to Randy and, right. He could feel emotions, huh?

"I think I'd be okay with that." Ooh, that was quite the bright shade of white on Randy's cheeks. Danny  _loved_ it- Them. He loved them. He…

It was getting better.

::

"Yeah, okay, I guess that one is pretty good, but get back to me when you've drawn a sketching of the Louvre and half the works inside."

"Wha- Hey, no fair! Landmarks don't count when you've grow up here- Randy, I grew up in  _Amity_ , that's not fair."

"Technically, I was there for a mission," Randy hummed, trying to hold in a laugh as Danny wriggled around like the demented little thing he was, pressing up against his side and- Oh, what a sneaky thing. "No peeking until it's finished, that was the rule."

"Since when do I ever follow rules?" Danny raised an eyebrow, grinning when Andrew snorted from where he was marking up a stack of papers "See? Andy thinks I'm funny."

"Andy has a shit sense of humor. He fell in love with us, after all." Smudging some of the lines for a more washed out effect, Randy glanced up at Danny's prickling emotions.

"Did you just insult all three of us at the same time?" Hm. Yes, he had, hadn't he? Danny squirmed closer, clutching at Randy's arm, voice awed, "Teach me."

"Do not- No. Don't teach him. He's bad enough as it is," Andrew huffed, Randy hiding a laugh against Danny's hair. "What happened to trading stories on places you've been?"

"It's places we've  _drawn_ , Andy, jeez." The look Danny was given was hilarious. "Randy wins. Randy always wins. He's been  _everywhere_!"

"I haven't been everywhere, just most places." Ah, his sweet halfa was so interesting. As always, Danny's emotions swirled and ebbed and changed quicker than he could keep tabs on them. He was so emotional and so quick to leap onto a new topic- Oh, right, yes. Scientist parents. Maybe that was why-

"Why is sex dangerous?" Staring at Danny, Randy slowly looked to Andrew, and oh, good. Andrew looked just as baffled.

"That is a very complicated question, mon cher." Baffled and now vindictive. "Let's start with the basics of sexually transmitted diseases-"

"No, no, no, no! That's not-" Danny's panic was filled with amusement and Randy couldn't stop his echoing laughter. "I meant why is ghost sex dangerous!"

"I wasn't aware that it could be inherently dangerous," Andrew said, gaze flicking to Randy in a sharp motion that had him quickly snapping his mouth shut. "What have you been corrupting him with this time?"

" _Andy_." Randy held a hand to his chest, lips twitching into a smile. "Do you  _honestly think_ that I would  _corrupt_ our  _precious_ mate-"

"Yes."

"Hell yeah you would."

"Alright, yes, I would, but I was telling him the truth."

"The truth of  _what_?" Yes, well, Randy would actually like to know- Oh.  _Oh_. Danny was talking about  _that_. "If someone would be kind enough to explain just what is going on."

"You haven't been cautious enough," Randy snickered and oh, he very clearly remembered that conversation now - as well as the moments before. "Fucking our sweet little mate when he has that much energy being let loose?  _Ghostly_ energy?"

Watching in delight, Randy saw Andrew's face pale a worrying amount before it was rapidly filling back up with color. Randy couldn't help but tease even more, voice dropping to naught but a croon, "Unless that's something you would  _want_ , sweet one."

"Go fuck yourself!" How cute. Although, it was cuter when Danny grabbed his own sketchbook and squirmed his way into Andrew's lap, scattering the papers and lying on half of them as he kissed Andrew's cheek. "I'm still going to kill him."

"I wouldn't blame you if you did," Randy chuckled, nodding along to Andrew's complaints and threats and sighing softly. Danny's fear and self-hatred were still there, but in moments like these… It lessened. That had to count for something, right?

For now, with all three of them curled together, it was just how it should be.

::

"Hey, Andy?" The three were taking a break from all the sightseeing they were doing - because Danny got his way far too often - and sitting on a bench tucked out of the way of foot traffic. It had been peacefully quiet before Danny's question, Andrew giving a quiet hum to show he had heard. "How did you know it was me? When we met, how did you know that I was the one who killed you?"

Oh, now that was certainly a question, wasn't it? Seeing Danny begin to flinch, Andrew was quick to wrap his hand around Danny's, bringing the younger's up to press a reassuring kiss to the knuckles. It was sweet to see his growing blush. "I didn't know right away," Andrew finally said, voice quiet. "It was the little things."

"Little things that kept building?" Mm. It had been easy near the end, especially. He was a writer, he was meant to see the connections between things. "When'd you figure it out?"

"When I learned your full name." The utterly baffled face Danny gave him had Andrew laughing and oh, this sweet thing.

"Andy! You can't just leave me hanging like this! C'mon, what did learning my full name have to do? Was it some super secret ghost secret? Like, you can look up my whole life story-"

"Daniel  _James_ Fenton." The emotions Andrew could see in Danny's eyes had his smile softening. "Oh, Danny." Andrew pulled him closer, kissing at his cheek and speaking even softer. "You wanted to take my hand so badly that night, didn't you?"

"You have no idea. I just- I was so scared when  _you_ looked at me with  _fear_ and I ran and- Here was this cute, young version of you who had no idea who I was and was so bad at flirting and was offering a safe space and  _god_ , Andy, you were always everything I wanted."

"I'm glad that you didn't take my hand that night." Andrew kissed at his cheek, rubbing at the other one to just feel his skin - to feel him  _alive_. "I'm so glad I got to meet you  _properly_. I got to fall in love with you, I was able to see Randy again,  _you_ were able to meet Randy- We're all three here right now because of that night, Danny. I wouldn't change that for anything.

"I'm so glad things happened the way they did. Because of that night look where we are. We're here, together, as mates. We're in France, you're safe, Randy's happy again, and I have a family. It's- Oh, mon cher, it's everything I ever prayed for."

"I'm back!" Ah, Randy was back with their drinks. "So they were out of- What… What did I miss?" Oh, Danny was crying that much, then. "You made him cry in the few minutes I was gone to get drinks?"

"I was reassuring him." Andrew kissed at Danny's cheek again and the younger let out a laugh that sounded watery.

"'M fine, Randy. You Riters just like to destroy my emotions, is all." Danny perked up at the coffee he was given, but he perked up even  _more_ at the sweet kiss Randy pulled him into. Andrew tried to suppress a snort at seeing how Danny very obviously enjoyed it. "So, sightseeing?"

"Coffee first. I have some water if you get dehydrated, but then we're gonna grab a bite to eat. Then sightseeing, yes."

"You mother hen him," Andrew snorted, accepting his own kiss and cup of coffee. "Mm, it is nice to be taken care of by you, however."

"You know," Danny said,  _trying_ to act nonchalant as he blew on the drink, "If you want to drag him to a back alleway and screw his brains out I'll keep watch." Oh. Oh, he so dearly loved his mates.

"Mm." Andrew took an extra long sip of his coffee just to watch Randy flush and squirm, "Let's wait until after the Louvre, at least."

"Wha- Hey!" Randy looked so good when he was blushing like that. Hmph, the alleyway would be filthy,  _but_ they could always go back to their room… "Do I not get a say on you screwing me in the back of an alleyway?"

"Why bother," Danny snorted. "You'll say yes."

"Hey now, petit mec, there's no need to go throwing the truth about." As the two laughed and grinned and fell into such an easy routine, Andrew sighed and took another sip of his coffee. Things were getting better.

::

It was bound to happen, really. It made sense. Everything was going so well, Danny was seeing all of  _France_ , their room was gorgeous, they were all well and truly mates, and he was finally starting to heal and stop smelling ash and smoke. So, really, it made sense that he was now shaking from his most recent nightmare and covering up his hitching breaths as best he could.

It made sense- He should have expected it. That's how this worked. Things got better and then they went back to how they should be- Spectra hadn't be right about all of it, but some of it… Some of it was too truthful to ever ignore. Jesus, he just-

"Nightmare?" Flinching at the voice, Danny snapped his head over and stared at Randy and his open arms before curling up to him so fast he might have flown. Warm arms wrapped around him and Danny buried himself as close as he could possibly get. Randy was safe- Randy would keep him safe. Randy- Randy was  _Randy_ , but Andy… Andrew smelled too much like smoke and ash. "That bad of one, huh?"

Danny didn't respond - what could he even say? Yeah, no, he was  _fine_ , it wasn't  _that_ bad, he just dreamt of the bridge again was all. He dreamt of Spectra's words and the truth of them digging into his skin, of him falling and falling and falling and  _falling_ \- He wasn't caught in his dream. He remembered. Weeks and weeks before he had a dream in Andrew's class and he had fallen from the bridge and…

It wasn't a dream. Back in Andrew's class,  _that_  hadn't been a  _dream_. Spectra hadn't pushed him, then. Randy hadn't caught him, then. It had just been Danny taking a single step forward and  _falling_ \- "What do you say we make some hot chocolate?"

Apparently, Danny didn't get any say in whether or not he wanted hot chocolate because he soon ended up sitting in Randy's lap with a cup and a cartoon show in French playing on the tv in front of them. Andrew had somehow been woken up during then and while Danny had expected to flinch and hide at every word, the sound of Andrew's voice - thick and rough with sleep - was a balm to his soul more than anything else could ever be.

It should have- It shouldn't have worked as well as it did. They were in a hotel room and Danny was listening to tv in  _French_. He was pretty sure Andrew had slipped back into the language and Danny only understood every other word where he was so tired, yet… It felt right. It felt like home.

The hot chocolate was familiar, Andrew's voice was grounding him as the man swore about something or other while waving a brownie about like he would a dry erase marker, and Randy was drooling on Danny's shoulder from where he had fallen back asleep. God, the fact Randy had fallen asleep with them talking and the tv going on was  _amazing_. Danny wasn't the only one getting better. There was even still a half-eaten cookie in his hand.

"Hey, Andy." Danny's voice was hardly louder than a whisper, but it attracted the man's attention at once, Andrew looking at him with the brownie halfway to his mouth. "What's your favorite color?"

"I- Oh." Whatever meaning Andrew got from that question Danny didn't know, but the man laughed and shifted closer to them. "I have two." Oh? "White and blue." Oh.

Draining the rest of his cup, Danny carefully set it down before holding his hand out towards Andrew. He was given the brownie. Before Danny could argue that, no, that was  _not_ what he wanted, Andrew was carefully pulling him out of Randy's lap and into his own.

Settling down - and smiling as Randy woke up only long enough to burrow his way under the covers - Danny leaned back to kiss at Andrew's jaw. "Love you."

"Je t'aime aussi, mon cher." Yeah, it probably shouldn't feel like home so much, but, well. He supposed 'home' wasn't just Vidya anymore.

::

"Bonjour, Mama." Randy sat down in front of the tombstone that lay before him, his human illusion shifted to leave him with a splattering of sun freckles and brown curls that kept getting caught in and behind his glasses. "It's been a while."

A cool breeze with the promise of rain ruffled Randy's hair, the man laughing as he relaxed as much as he could. Further across the quaint, countryside graveyard he could see Andrew and Danny kneeling in front of another tombstone, Danny looking utterly starstruck. "You've most likely been keeping a close eye on me so you already know, but I finally brought Danny to visit you today. He's seeing Sylvia right now."

For as much as he feared the dead (how  _ironic_ ), he could never find himself to be afraid in this place. Maybe it was because of her. "I hope you two were able to meet again. I don't remember any of your stories about her, but I'm glad that if anyone found me it was your dear friend." Sylvia Riter had been taken, too, when she was young. Randy had been so lucky.

"Andrew's still teaching at the school- He's so good at it, Mama! I hope he's able to stay there for a long time. He's clearly better than any other teacher there. Honestly, the school got lucky to have him." A sharp breeze ruffled his hair again, Randy huffing a laugh. "Alright, I'm bragging a little, I'm allowed to. You bragged about Papa all the time."

Ah, he could imagine his mother's sly look - or perhaps it was Sylvia's sly look he remembered? He had been so young when he was taken, but, well. The spirit of the memories were the same, whether true or not. "Hush, Mama. That might not be for a while yet, but… It's good. Things are good where they are, now."

Looking back, Andrew seemed to be in the middle of some story or another, Danny looking like an entertained child as he nodded and laughed along. Sylvia's grave had beautifully glowing ice orchids scattered across, along with a cookie and sleek dagger. "I know, I know, I tried to talk them out of leaving a  _weapon_ of all things, but, well. Andrew was insistent that Sylvia would need a way to protect herself, and you know Danny. He'll agree with whatever gets him a cookie."

Looking up, the sky was filled with clouds that were full and heavy, the sky holding a gray tint that hid the world. The wind was picking up in spurts and bursts, that promise of rain beginning to feel like a threat. It shouldn't feel as nice as it did. "It's been a long journey, Mama, but I think things are finally turning out okay again."

It felt… It felt like things were going to be okay. Danny was healing - albeit slowly. Still. It was healing, and it was good. Andrew was starting to fall more into peace with himself. He had always been too on the fringes, but now he acted- He acted like he used to when it was just him and Randy.

He caught the man smiling down at Danny as Danny enthusiastically talked to Sylvia. The smile on Andrew's face was nothing but fond and loving, and oh, Randy was so glad Danny had come crashing into their lives. It was- Ah.

A prickling of emotions and action of Danny rubbing at his chest let Randy know that the teen was getting closer to one of his overloads. The buildup had been happening for the last few days, and he supposed he couldn't be all that surprised. Now that Danny was well and truly safe, this was the ideal time for his body to release everything to try and get back to a state of balance. This one was going to bad, though…

The smell of grass and flowers and freshly turned dirt had him turning his attention back to Annabell Beaumont, Randy giving a smile. "Sorry, Mama. You know how I worry about them- Ah, that was right. I had something for you." Digging through his pockets, Randy frowned before a set of papers were being held out to him.

"I slipped them in Andrew's bag before you could fold them up and wrinkle them," Danny said, kissing at Randy's cheek and then flying back over to Andrew with a laugh.

"My better halves, truly," Randy smiled, setting down the set of drawings on top of Annabell's grave and weighing each one down with a rock or pebble. "Here, Mama. I had a few more designs I wanted to show you- Yes, alright, I pulled inspiration from one of your lines, but it's not cheating. I was merely using the references available to me."

Spreading out the drawings and fussing with them longer than he should have, Randy finally sighed and shifted to stand. "I don't know when I'll be back, Mama, but I hope you're happy wherever you ended up. I'm sorry I can't be with you just yet." No… No, Annabell had been too happy and too fulfilled to ever be forced to stay behind like he and Andrew and even Danny. Wherever she was, he knew it was somewhere where she would be happy. Hopefully.

Brushing his fingertips over the top of the tombstone, Randy gave it a fond pat. "Don't worry, Mama, I'll keep an eye on these two. Family before anything else, oui?" He may be Randy Riter, yes, but a part of him would always be Randall Nicolas Beaumont. "I'll keep them safe." He would sacrifice everything, if need be.

"What's her favorite flower?" Startling - because Danny could be very sneaky when he wanted to be - Randy looked down at the grinning teen.

"Ah, I… I don't really remember, mon douce." Randy cupped the teen's cheek and brushed a kiss against his forehead. "She was fond of lilies, I suppose."

"He's going to make it a habit." Andrew was wrapping Randy up in a hug as soon as Danny laughed and sped over to Annabell's grave, conjuring ice lily after ice lily. "I can tell now, every time we come here we're going to find those flowers of his."

"Doesn't sound too bad." Randy returned the hug at once, running a hand through Andrew's hair and hiding a smile against the man's shoulder. How amazing they could smile while being here. The first time… "Where shall we go next, then?"

"I- Well, I, ah…" Andrew cleared his throat roughly, Randy raising an eyebrow at the swirl of guilt, hesitation, and bitter humor. "I rather promised Danny-"

"He said you two were going to show me the Sanctum." Adjusting to the new weight on his shoulders, Randy gave Andrew a very judging look. Andrew very pointedly didn't look at him. "The place closed down, right? The one here in France?"

"Well, yes." Randy chewed at the inside of his cheek, turning in a circle and recalling the map in his head. "I suppose…" The direction the Sanctum was in looked dull and lifeless, the clouds over it dark and stormy and merciless. Randy didn't bother feeling shame as he reached for Andrew's hand. "Yes. The Sect of the Crow as we knew it is dead, anyways."

That line had Andrew explaining a very detailed story to Danny about sabotage, political affairs, and a ten-year-long job by a few select people to shut the Sect down from the inside. The Sect had been disbanded quite ruthlessly, but Randy was certain there were groups of those who carried on the training and teachings.

As Andrew talked, Randy led them towards the building, each step measured and carefully taken. Thriving walkways turned into crumbled sidewalks while numerous cars trailed off until there was nothing but the sharp, loud caws of the crows that called this part of the city their home. The Sect had been aptly named.

Each step closer had Randy falling more and more into those memories, however. It was only Andrew's voice and Danny's weight on his back that kept him grounded. That kept him  _sane_ \- Ah… He didn't even realize he was humming until he heard the distorted sound echoed back to him from empty buildings. White Fang had a song, too. The difference- The  _difference_ was that White Fang didn't allow for survivors to tell his story like the Priest had.

"The Sanctum." Andrew's voice was hushed and small. Randy could so clearly imagine it was them as they had been years ago, returning from another mission and weapons heavy with the weight of the dead- Ah, except.

"Looks ugly." Except that wasn't then. It was now. "I mean- I mean, I know it was supposed to be this big thing, but it's like- Guys, it's really ugly."

"It's not like we had a say in it's design," Andrew sniffed, turning his head away and looking like he was trying not to smile or cry. Randy laughed, watching Danny shift seamlessly into his ghost form and hover in front of them.

"'S empty, right?" At the question, Rand glanced to Andrew, the man looking just as confused. "The building. It's empty, right? No one alive in there?"

"Not a soul," Randy promised. If there was, he would feel a current of an emotion of  _some_ kind. All there was, however, was dead space.

Heh. How fucking ironic.

"Good." With that, Danny was gone from in front of them. It only took a second before an explosion cracked the air and shook the ground, Randy moving to catch Andrew before he could lose his balance.

"Well, then." Andrew stared at the Sanctum begun to catch on fire. His grin was wide and reckless. "This seems familiar."

"If you'll recall, it was the base in England I set on fire, not this one," Randy scolded, watching as the world that had took everything began to burn. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Oh, I'm just fine where I am." Andrew had always been nervous around fires after his death. It made sense, now that Randy knew the truth, but watching Andrew now… There was no fear in those eyes.

Looking back to the Sanctum, Randy watched as it Danny single-handedly crushed it to  _nothing_. It- It was almost hilarious. They had only just come out to visit their mothers and now, without even trying, Danny was destroying everything that had kept them chained. All the memories, all the fears, all the worry that everything ever said about them was right. Yet… Yet here was this kid who was too good with a heart that was too big destroying their fears.

"Hey, Andy." Each breath in and he could feel Danny's bitter vindication and feel Andrew's wicked joy. "I'm gonna be pretty disappointed in us if we don't propose to him after he finishes school."

"Mm." Oh? Andrew was blushing and looking away, but he wasn't throwing up any crazy denials like he usually did. "I think I've had enough of wondering about the future. Day by day seems like a much better plan."

The Sanctum crumbled to  _nothing_ and Randy couldn't help but feel like the next breath of air he took was clean and pure. Heh… To think Danny was always going on about how they had saved  _him_.

::

Finishing up the last document with a flourish, Andrew grinned smugly. Not only had he spent as much time with his mates as he could, but he also managed to finish up all his work that needed to be done before school reconvened. He bet half the teachers in that school couldn't say the same. Ah, it was so nice to be superior.

Closing his laptop and standing up with a stretch, Andrew brushed himself off from where he had been curled up in the in-ground bathtub with a blanket around his shoulders. He then stared at where he was standing because, what?

How on earth had he- Oh, yes, that was right. Randy and Danny had started being flirty and Andrew had work to do so he had hid in the bathroom to get it done- Ah, right, one of them had brought him a blanket. What sweet mates. Perhaps he should check on them.

Making sure his laptop was safe on the edge of a counter and not in any danger of falling into something wet, Andrew carefully left the bathroom and folded up the blanket as he went. It would be time for lunch, soon. Maybe they could go downstairs to that nice-

Ah. Alright, then. They were doing quite fine on their own, now weren't they? Well, Andrew didn't want to interrupt… He would just sit on that nice little window seat with this blanket and watch as Randy fucked quiet gasps and whines out of their sweet little halfa.

It was quite the delightful show, really. Randy had Danny pinned to the bed (really, he was so fond of keeping them unable to move) and was rocking into him in long, smooth thrusts. Randy had long ago dropped his illusion, it seemed, fangs glinting as he whispered what was no doubt utter  _filth_ into Danny's ear.

Danny seemed to respond quite positively to it, at least. He was pushing himself into each and every thrust and panting heavily, ghostly features bleeding through with each second and overall he was looking utterly  _gone_. Judging by how they didn't even notice his arrival, Andrew assumed they had been at it for quite some time.

Shifting back on the seat, Andrew raised an eyebrow as Randy's gaze flickered over to him. He was given a sharp smile in response and, damn. Never could sneak by Randy- Oh, Andrew now had a  _very_ clear view of what Randy was doing to Danny. Well, then, that was nice, now wasn't it?

With each thrust Randy was palming at Danny's cock and driving him even further into pleasure. A particular thrust and twist had Danny arching off the bed, loud keening cry echoing in the room. That seemed to be the last straw, Randy pounding into Danny fast and fierce and working the teen up more and more and  _more_ -

Standing up, Andrew set the blanket down before he calmly walked over, almost laughing as he saw the bed moving with the two. They really were too precious. Looking down at Danny, Andrew saw that the teen's eyes were completely glazed over with swirls of ectoplasmic energy, breath coming out in puffs of supercooled air and energy sparking along his human form. Andrew was utterly enchanted.

Mm, it looked like Randy had teased Danny for long enough. Brushing Randy's bangs out of the way, Andrew trailed the tips of his fingers down the man's spine. "Bite him." As soon as Randy's fangs pierced Danny's neck, Andrew was pressing his fingers over Danny's core and sending in a burst of pure, raw energy.

Danny let out a  _scream_  as he completely shattered, Andrew smiling as he trailed the energy into Randy - along with a good dose of love and care and adoration and obsession and  _want_ \- Ah, it was so easy to ruin these two. Andrew sat down on the edge of the bed, watching the two pant and shake and shiver and recover after being completely  _wrecked_.

"Fuuuck, you two need to stop tag teaming on me," Danny groaned, long and low and so  _satisfied_ as he wiggled from under Randy. The flinch and growl it earned him from Randy was delightful. "'S not fair."

"When did we ever say that we would play fair?" Andrew trailed his fingertips against Danny's cheek, smiling at the chill that sunk inside of him from that contact alone. "I rather believe there's a saying about love being a battlefield?"

"Oh? I think there's another saying about war not having any winners." With that, Andrew was yelping at Randy having jerked him roughly onto the bed, Andrew wincing as he fell across them in a tangle of limbs and elbows. He couldn't even fight before Randy (who had moved so carefully that  _sneak_ ) was biting him sharply right along the edges of his ear. Danny, at the same time, was nipping at his jaw and sending a dose of ectoplasmic energy right into his neck- The back of his neck where-

"Jesus  _fuck_." One of the damn brats laughed, but Andrew didn't pay it much mind as they were doing remarkably well in making him want to be fucked within an inch of his life. "My clothes had better be off and a dick had better be inside of me within the next minute or I swear-"

His clothes fell away and Andrew felt slick fingers start to rub at his entrance, hands and lips and warmth coating him everywhere and oh, yes, he very much loved spring break right now.

::

It wasn't fair. It was the last day of their trip in France and not only had the clouds from the last few days finally burst and caused a torrential downpour, but Danny had woken up right in the middle of one of his sensory overloads. It only took a groggy filled minute or two to realize that this one was going to be  _bad_ , too. He could barely handle the feeling of his clothes scratching at his skin and the sheets were so  _rough_ and he was already starting to cry and he hadn't even been awake for ten minutes yet-

Danny whined pitifully when he was lifted up, breaths hitching as he squirmed against the hold. There was a mumbling of voices over him, Danny covering his ears and slamming his eyes shut at the light that came in from one of the lamps. He wasn't sure what was going on until he felt his clothes drop away from his skin and then warm water wrapping around him. Startled enough to open his eyes, Danny looked around to see he had been placed in the large, in-ground bath, Randy kneeling down beside him with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hands in the water.

"Ran- Randy?" Danny couldn't stop a wince as the sound from that single, hushed word sounded like it was ringing in his ears. Instead of answering, Randy only gave a soft, understanding smile, resting his chin on the edge of the tub.

Opening his mouth, Danny closed it with a huff, feeling a little better at Randy's silly smile. Patting at Randy's tangled mess of curls, he found it amusing that the man didn't even mind he was getting wet, only leaning his head into the touch and closing his eyes. "I always wanted a puppy," Danny teased, voice quiet as he could make it as he slowly relaxed in the water, everything starting to hurt less - at least, sounds were. "Sorry."

"You, mon cher, don't have anything to be sorry for." Andrew came into the bathroom with towels, a bundle of glowing flowers, and a ball of softly shining purple light that rested above and behind his head. Danny rather thought he was in his right to look at his mate like he was utterly insane. "Hush."

"Didn't know I was dating a wizard," Danny shot back, grinning as Andrew moved to sit on the edge of the tub.

"Here I thought a lover of science such as yourself would denounce magic," Andrew huffed, setting the towels aside and plucking at the petals of one of the flowers.

"I mean, I routinely transform into a magical girl, so, there's that." There was a stifled snort of laughter from Randy, Danny grinning before it faded again. "I- Sorry. It's our last day-"

"And we'll spend it together just as we have all the rest." Andrew held one of the petals out against his lips, Danny raising both eyebrows as he opened his mouth anyways. "Chew and swallow. They're some of Randy's plants."

"Don't make it sound like I keep them as pets," Randy frowned, shifting to cup handfuls of water and run it over Danny's head and neck. It felt  _wonderful_.

"Don't you?" Andrew fed Danny another petal. They were sweet, he supposed, but Danny didn't exactly understand what it was for. "They're stabilizers. Typically you can use them to stave off core exhaustion, or at least lessen the effects."

"Well, technically they're meant to equally distribute your ectoplasmic energy to all parts of your body," Randy put in, sitting back on his heels. "That's what core exhaustion is. You lack the energy to spread it to other parts of your body and it makes your core overwork itself to try and fix the problem. These help the energy spread more easily without spreading it so  _thinly_.

"Your sensory overloads are similar to where your energy builds up from  _blockage_ rather than having too much, like with your other attacks. Blockage can happen to all ghosts, but it's more common to you because you're balancing both your human and ghost halfs and you'll change back after a fight, which can cause your energy to get blocked at certain points in your body. These flowers should encourage the energy to spread without breaking down the blocks so violently, which is what causes your hyper senses - it's from where the block breaks and the energy suddenly rebounds and amplifies  _everything_."

Danny wasn't sure how long he was staring at Randy, but he knew it wasn't for very long because he soon had Randy half submerged in the bath and was kissing him quite happily. Randy didn't seem to mind all that much, judging by how much he was kissing back. "Andy, I'm keeping him."

"I rather think he won't mind that." Just- Randy! Science Randy! Danny really, really loved his mates- It wasn't just- They had thought this all out and had it ready to go the second Danny had woken up in such pain. They had planned it all out to help make him comfortable as possible and had gone above and beyond and-

"I love you." Danny might have been crying, but it was just… "I really,  _really_ love you two." He was still alive. He was alive and he had these two and how could he  _ever_ think he was a substitute when it had always been them - the three of them.

Spectra had been right, but she had also been  _wrong_. Danny would never kill himself because he had his family  _helping_ him. He would never turn into Dan because he knew that he would always protect people - even when he had nothing. He was never going to lose these two because it was them. It was the three of them, in love and struggling to make it all work and oh, god, there were some days it was ready to all fall apart but in the end it was  _them_.

It was Danny angry and upset and so  _mad_ and Andrew quiet beside him and writing to where Danny could see every word.

It was Andrew irritable and lost in memories and unable to say anything and it just kept  _building_ , but Danny sat right there and rambled about everything and anything, giving Andrew the words he didn't have.

It was Randy lost and confused and unable to find a place that was  _his_ , but that was just fine because his place had become the place right between Danny and Andrew.

It was the three of them, lost and broken and beaten and utterly hopeless, but… That was what made it perfect. Perfection from the imperfection, Andrew would say- Or maybe Randy? It was just-

It was them, learning, and struggling, and surviving, and making it better each and every day and oh,  _god_ , Danny couldn't wait- Except, he didn't have to. His happily ever after was finally here, in a way.

And it was perfect.


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter Fifty Five**

::

"See, I  _thought_ your hair was getting longer, but now I have proof." Danny grinned, sitting on top of one of their suitcases that Randy had meticulously packed earlier that morning, watching as Andrew stared blearily at him from where he was still trying to wake up. He was pretty sure the man was having trouble processing words and thought at the moment.

"Perhaps we should cut it," Randy mused, brushing his fingers through Andrew's hair - which was a mess of tangles and curls. Danny couldn't stop his laughter as Andrew purred quietly, leaning into the touch at once.

"Long hair looks good on him, though." Flying around the room until he found what he was looking for, Danny moved to the bed with a brush in one hand and a hair tie in the other. "How long until we leave?"

"About another hour." Randy snagged a quick kiss from him, Danny blinking in surprise and then laughing. "I'll go ahead and finish up breakfast while you try to do something with his hair. If you can."

"Hey, I'm Danny Phantom. What  _can't_ I do?" An amused snort from Andrew had Danny frowning and whacking the brush lightly against Andrew's head. It did nothing to stop the silly grin. "Hush."

"Good luck," Randy laughed, kissing at Andrew's cheek before heading back to the kitchen, Danny watching him as he wrapped his arms around Andrew's shoulders and pressed his face against Andrew's neck.

"He's a lot happier since everything, isn't he?"

"Extremely." Andrew's voice was still rough with sleep, the covers rustling as Andrew fell back to the bed and dragged Danny down with him. "It's nice to see him so happy."

"Hey, I'm supposed to be brushing your hair." Whining, Danny squirmed around, grinning as Andrew pinned him down with a faint flush. Too easy. "Let me brush your hair."

"Stop being a brat," Andrew countered, softening at the kiss Danny managed to press against the tip of his nose. "I used to have it long back in the days of the Sect."

"I know, you've told me. I think you look good with long hair." Carding his fingers through Andrew's hair, Danny held it back and studied it before giving a nod. "Yeah, definitely good with long hair.

"I'll keep that in mind. Now, are you going to brush it or are we going to go back to sleep and force Randy to pay for a late check-out?" Stifling his laughter as best he could, Danny shook his head and finally pushed himself to sit up.

"That's a little too cruel, don't you think?" The whine Andrew gave reminded Danny that for as mature as he was, Andrew was still only twenty-two. Strangely, that thought comforted him more than anything. "C'mon, Andy. Let's go home."

"It won't even be morning when we get back," Andrew complained. Danny kissed him to shut him up and grinned when Andrew pressed back without any more complaint, softening the kiss as he wound his arms around Danny's shoulders and pulled him closer. "I suppose I can be convinced."

"We can sleep in as much as you want when we get back?" Danny tried, huffing when Andrew only snorted. "What if I agree to do my homework when we get back and not move until it's done?"

"That  _is_ rather nice incentive, but I had a better idea." Oh? "I rather like the sound of a nice warm bath when we get home." Andrew smirked, lips brushing across Danny's. "As well, I rather like the idea of tying your wrists together and fucking you against the porcelain tub as I fill you with my energy."

"Randy! Hurry up on breakfast so we can get home!" Randy's complaints were easily ignored as Danny was pulled into another kiss and oh,  _fuck_ yes. He so very,  _very_ much loved his mates.

Thankfully it only took another hour before Danny got his promised bath with Andrew and a pleasant surprise of Randy joining them. After that, he slept for another few hours before heading home. He had barely phased into his bedroom before the door was slamming open and Jack was gathering him into a hug. "Welcome home, Danny-boy!"

"Dad- Dad! Breathing!" Unfortunately, Jack had long since stopped listening to his complaints and only hugged him tighter. Danny would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it after everything that had happened. "Yeah, would've come straight back here, but Randy packed so it was kind of hard to tell what was mine when we sorted through the luggage."

"No problem, kiddo. I know what it's like to want to spend time with your boyfriends." Yeah, Andrew and Randy were pretty- Wait.

"I'm only- I- Boy _friends_?"

"Well, yeah. You're dating both of them, right?" Jack finally set him down, Danny staring at him with an open mouth because, no, what, wait? He didn't!

"I never told you I was dating both of them!" He was pretty sure he hadn't, at least? Everything was so  _clouded_ in the last few weeks he had been dealing with Spectra, but he was almost  _positive_ he hadn't said anything like- Like  _that_!

"Didn't have to, Danny-boy," Jack grinned, ruffling his hair with a fond, amused look that had Danny relaxing near at once. While he saw Clockwork as a father figure a hell of a lot, his dad would always be, well, his  _dad_. At least they seemed alright with finding out this - although, after finding out he was half-ghost, there wasn't much his parents  _weren't_ okay with. "Oh, that reminds me! Vladdie wanted you to stop on by."

"Oh- Oh, yeah, sure. It's been a while since I've seen him, anyways." It would probably reassure Vlad to know that Danny was okay and Spectra was… That she wouldn't be hurting anyone else. "I just napped so I'll go on and head over?"

"We'll have lunch ready and waiting!" There was a loud clattering of pans and swearing from downstairs, Danny absolutely certain he had just heard his mother speak words that he had never even knew existed. "Er, maybe."

"If Vlad offers to let me eat lunch with him then I'm staying." Vlad was rich, he could afford to feed an extra mouth.

Instead of shooting back his own joke, Jack only smiled at him and brought him in for another hug, Danny frowning and, that- That was a bit strange. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Dad?" Yeah, his dad was affectionate, but this was strange even for him. "You alright?" The hug tightened for a moment, a hand settling on his hair and… For a moment, it felt like he was five years old and the hug his dad gave him proved that nothing could ever hurt him.

"Nothing at all, Danny. I'm just glad you're okay." What- Oh. Oh, so even his parents had noticed those last few weeks. Biting his lip, Danny threw his arms around Jack's neck and hugged him tight.

"I'm okay. I promise." He had a lot to make up for, but now, at least, he had the time to do it. Things were going to be better. He had promised.

::

"Jesus. You can't have a normal evil mansion, can you? No, you have to live in the most confusing evil mansion ever to be built!"

"You could always try coming through the front door instead of my ghost portal." Yeah, but where was the fun in that? Besides, this way Danny got to double check to make sure Vlad wasn't up to any sort of evil plot-

A high pitched shriek had Danny looking around for trouble at once, body tensing as something crashed into him and sent him reeling back. The only thing that kept him from firing off half a dozen shots was Vlad's fond smile and black hair near smothering him that smelled like some stupid ocean breeze shampoo. "Danny, Danny, Danny!" He knew that voice…

"Dani?" Managing to pry the beaming girl back, Danny felt the smile mirrored on his face as he let go and hugged her back against him. "Dani! Oh, mean, you've been gone for  _ages_ \- Jeez, I haven't seen you since summer ended. Are you okay? How have you been doing- What are you doing  _here_?"

"She thought the dining room would be the best area to lay an ambush," Vlad explained, and, yeah, that sounded like Dani, but it also explained  _nothing_. Why was  _Dani_ here with  _Vlad_?

"Hey, do I know my cuz, or do I know my cuz?" Dani smirked, pleased as could be before she gasped and pushed herself backwards. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" With that, Dani was squirming out of his hold and floating a foot or two back before holding out her hand. "Hi! My name is Elle Masters and it's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Uh." Really, what other response was he supposed to have to that? Elle? Yeah, okay, he could see Elle. No, the thing tripping him up was  _Masters_. Looking to Vlad, the man raised his hands peacefully.

"She was quite insistent on the last name. I offered to have it legally changed to whatever she wished, but, well. Stubborness is a trait you two share."

Danny opened his mouth, pausing as Dani - Elle - pouted and held out her hand more. Actually, looking closely, she looked more… More alive. Even in her ghostly state she was already  _different_. Her eyes stayed that bright green that was a bit lighter than Danny's, her hair was long and some of it was braided and hastily shoved out of the way, and even her outfit was different. No more hazmat suit.

"Hi, Elle." This was no longer Danielle who was his clone. This was, apparently, Elle Masters, who smiled brighter than anyone. "It's nice to meet you."

Elle's smile grew and Danny recognized the look on Vlad's face as the look on Jack's that he had seen not even twenty minutes ago. Had even that changed when he wasn't paying attention? "Oh, right!" That was his only warning before Danny was yelping and trying to get away from the little gremlin that was pawing at him. "I need your phone. We need to compare pictures of France so we can see who took the better ones - me, of course, but I wanna give you a fighting chance."

"Hey, hey, no pockets in the hazmat suit!" Danny finally managed to squirm away and hide behind Vlad, sticking his tongue out at Elle's pouting. It was kind of amusing to see Vlad looked more happy than Danny had  _ever_ seen him. Maybe… Maybe it really was just a family he had always been after. "Is this why you wanted to see me?"

"Well, I also wanted to make sure you were alright." Alright? Why- "I heard about the bridge, Daniel." Oh. Changing back, Danny landed on the floor with a small thump, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Do you need to talk about it?"

"I am with Andy and Randy. I know she'll never bother me again- That she'll never be able to bother me again, but I- It's hard, but…"

"It's progress." Yeah-  _Yes._  This was what he had always wanted from Vlad. Someone who  _got it_.

"So- So, okay, catch me up here, when the hell did Elle get here?" Danny wobbled as Elle dropped down to hang off of his back, trying not to laugh as she curled against him.

"No more than two months ago." That long? Did that mean… Vlad smiled at him, giving a slight nod. "She's more mature than you or I will ever be."

"Heck yeah I am!" Elle squirmed closer for a moment, Danny pausing as he heard her whisper quiet enough that not even Vlad would hear. "It's okay, now. We're okay."

"Yeah… Yeah, you're way more mature than I'll ever be." This girl started with a life that no one would want- Jesus, it wasn't even a  _life_ at first, and now… Now she was growing, and happy, and had a home she could finally call her own.

"It's so great! Vlad's even gotten me tutors and everything and catching me up to speed and I get to start being a normal kid!"

"Yeah, a normal kid who can fly and has a thousand dollar allowance each month." Danny dragged the girl off of him and held her out like he might a puppy, Elle grinning at him.

"You know, Daniel." Oh, no, what was the Fruitloop gonna do to ruin the moment? "I could give you an allowance as well, if you want one. Elle's is hovering at about four thousand right now."

"Wha-  _Seriously_?" How the  _fuck_ \- "Okay, first of all, you'll call her Elle, but you won't call me Danny?" Vlad just smiled and ugh. Ugh. "Second of all,  _seriously_?" Four thousand- Like, okay, Danny wasn't exactly hurting on expenses. His parents made a decent amount with their science patents and Andrew and Randy had funds left over from their assassin days  _and_ their need to play with alchemy and turn things into silver and gold, so, like… He wasn't bad on money, but more would always be nice.

"You know you want to say yes," Elle grinned, Danny huffing and thinking about dropping her. "You won't drop me." Brat.

"I'll pass, thanks." Danny had  _some_ of his pride left. "Although if you wanted to make a donation to the college fund Mom and Dad have going for me, I mean, I won't say no to that."

"I'm sure you wouldn't. Well, come on, then. Elle wanted to try baking today. Perhaps with your help we won't burn down half the kitchen counter this time."

"Right." Danny carefully set Elle down before ruthlessly messing with her hair and making it into a mess. Ah, so this was what it was like to have a little sibling - or, well, little cousin? "C'mon, I'll teach you how to make some cake."

A few hours later and while the stove wasn't burned down, the kitchen was a little worse for wear. Vlad, at least, had stepped up to the challenge and explained he stress baked in college and oh, Danny had definitely teleported some things home to Vidya for later. Hopefully Andrew and Randy wouldn't question randomly appearing sweets.

"Oh, wow, that late?" Danny looked at the clock from where he was eating his fifth - sixth? - piece of… Something. It was something. "I should get home, I guess."

"I'll fly you to the portal." Elle was changing back into her ghost side, Danny amused as Vlad just intently focused on the piping of a cake he had pulled out of the oven.

"Bye, Vlad." 'Uncle' Vlad, hm. Maybe Danny would have to think about that a bit more, soon. Shrugging it off for now, Danny flew after Elle, smiling brightly at her. She really had grown since he had last seen her.

"He really has changed, you know." This girl was better than them all. "I mean, you're probably all concerned and feeling hero-y and all that, but-"

"Hey, hey, no, I know you can take care of yourself." Danny flew closer and captured her in a hug, knowing it was the right move when she returned it at once. "I gave him a second chance, too, Elle."

"I think… I think I'm starting to see him like a dad again. I know there's a lot to change and forgive, but-"

"Hey." Danny calmed her with a touch to her cheek, smile falling as she leaned into it at once. Not even a few years alive and she had been through so much and yet she still trusted them all  _so much_. "You're right, there  _is_ a lot to forgive, but take it slow. He deserves a second chance, but so do you, and his happiness shouldn't have to come at the expense of yours, right?"

"Right." Elle hugged him tight, sniffing very dramatically. "You're the best cousin slash big brother slash clone a girl could have."

"Yeah, let's stick with cousin for right now." Letting them both indulge for another minute or two, Danny finally let Elle go. "Alright, go save the cake we left in the oven before Vlad gets pissed at me."

"Oh! Right! The chocolate one!" Sugar addict. Shaking his head, Danny flew leisurely into the lab hidden in the basement, near having a heart attack at seeing Vlad leaning up against a counter and waiting for him.

" _Jesus_ \- I thought you  _stopped_ being a total crazy evil supervillain! Leaning up against counters and waiting dramatically is a villain thing!" Although it was rather ruined by the fact Vlad still had frosting and flour on his cheek and forehead.

"I'll have you know I was doing that long before you were even a thought." Eugh. "Relax, Daniel. I just wanted-"

"To secretly ask me what Elle told me so you'll know to change your behavior or not?" Ha, that look said it all. "Andy and Randy are good teachers."

"Mm." Ah, right, they had that whole 'rival' kind of thing going on. "I don't suppose you'll tell me what she said, then?"

"Nah, that's no fun." Danny flew over and sat on the counter beside him, tail flicking at Vlad's side and earning him a huff from the man. It felt nice, like this. When the lab was dark and silent and the only sound was the portal behind them - where the only  _light_ was the portal behind them. "Just… Just keep being her dad. It'll all work out."

"Yes, well." Aw, he was blushing. "I… I know it might not make a difference for me or for us, but I have… I've been seeing a therapist the past few weeks now. Ever since she came back."

"Wha- Really!" Danny perked up, grin bright and oh, man. That was- That was amazing! The fact that Vlad was trying- And a few weeks!

"I might have fudged a little on the finer details of my life, but it's… It's been helping." Alright, Vlad kind of deserved to suffer a hug for that one. Although, Danny had a feeling that Vlad wasn't suffering all that badly.

"None of us are ever going to be perfect," Vlad said quietly, carefully - so carefully - resting a hand on Danny's head. "We're far too damaged for that. Yet… The three of us know how to work best when we're damaged, I believe."

"'S not just you and me anymore," Danny grinned, letting him go. "I know… I know it's not the family you ever wanted-"

"It's perfect, Daniel. All of you… Having Jack and Maddie as friends again, having Elle in my life, seeing you grow and be better than I ever was- Oh, little badger, it's  _perfect_."

"If I cry then you don't get to ever tell anyone, okay?" It was getting better. There was a lot to make up for and a lot to fix in all their lives, but this… This was a damn good start to it all.


	56. Chapter 56

As always, remember I have a tumblr with updates at ibelieveinahappilyeverafter, and that I love you all!

* * *

**Chapter Fifty Six**

::

Phasing into the bedroom that was still, even now, a bright garish pink that only a little girl could love, Danny changed back to his human form in mid-air and let himself fall onto the bed. A few seconds of silence and Danny frowned. It was kind of annoying that Jazz didn't even look up or  _flinch_. Honestly. Try to scare a sibling and what did it get him? "You could at least fake being startled."

"Oh, no. A ghost." Now, that was just mean. At least Jazz seemed amused by it all. "Ready for the end of spring break then, little brother?"  _Ugh_.

"Don't even." Danny had been  _enjoying_ his spring break, especially after… Especially after everything that had happened before it. It had been nice to get away from his problems, from Amity Park, from  _America_. His mates really did do everything in extremes. Maybe next time they could just hit up an amusement park or two.

"I take it that you had a good spring break, then," Jazz laughed, folding up a set of sweaters and oh, right. Her college had spring break this week, too. "Mine was fine, before you try to guilty ask anything. I spent most of it with Clockwork catching up on homework."

"The Master of Time at your beck and call and you catch up on homework." Danny tsked, and, yeah, wow, he wished he could be more upset at how alike he and Jazz were at times. "History?"

"An essay on where our current political climate will take us," Jazz winked and oh, yeah, Danny really had learned it all from her. "I'm going to get a 97."

"Hey! He never tells me what grades I'll get!" Danny was almost offended. Almost. "Just because he's your mate doesn't mean you get to abuse that power, Jazz."

"Oh my god." Jazz turned and stared at him with wide eyes and looked to be shaking from where she was trying not to laugh. "Oh my- I don't even want to  _start_ to hear that from you and 'Mr. Riter.'"

"Wha- Hey! I-" Oh, nope, aha, Danny just remembered his 'detention.' He  _so_ abused that power. Quite happily- Dammit. She had a point. "Truce?"

"Truce. Now tell me the family friendly parts of your vacation. Have fun?" Oh, he very much had fun. "I said family friendly, Danny."

"I didn't say anything yet!" Clearing his throat and avoiding her look for a moment, Danny finally glanced back with a small, shy smile. "It was great, Jazz. I thought I'd never get to go to France with them and actually  _see_ where they grew up. I even got to visit their moms."

"I'm glad." Jazz folded a hideous fuzzy thing that Danny was certain had been a gag gift from their parents. Then again, it did look warm. "And how is…"

"Everything?" Danny fell back to lay on the bed, bottom half hanging off uncomfortably and neck tilting as his head brushed against the wall. It was cramped and straining his neck, but he didn't move. It was too familiar a pose and too familiar a ceiling filled with yellow butterflies and pink flowers. "It's… It's good, Jazz."

And it was. For the first time in a long time things were  _good_. Spectra was gone, Danny was recovering, Andrew and Randy and him had fully accepted one another and their relationship, Vlad was seeing a therapist-  _Vlad_. He was getting  _help_. It was… It was good. Not perfect, not great, not amazing, but good.

Pushing himself to sit up after listening to Jazz quietly fold and tuck things away, Danny gave her a curious look, "Didn't Clockwork tell you what happened?"

"Briefly." Jazz wasn't look at him, instead folding and refolding an old Christmas sweater that Danny had gotten her the other year. "Just the overview so I knew you were alright. I didn't want to pry, you know. He mentioned how he kept you safe in the Citadel for a while until you ran into Spectra."

"Oh. Yeah. That." Yeah, that. He… He still couldn't remember what had happened in the Citadel very well. He knew that he had talked to Clockwork about the future and that he had seen what was coming- Or had even that been a dream? He… Clockwork told him about his time powers and how he had them because Clockwork had been on the other side of the portal to trigger his change that day when he was fourteen, but- God, it was all so  _jumbled_. He couldn't remember what was a memory, what was a dream, and what had only been his imagination.

"Yeah, that," Jazz agreed softly, finally staring at the sweater and clutching it to her chest tightly. "I couldn't… I wasn't able to do  _anything_."

"Jazz- Oh, Jazz, no, you weren't-" Jeez. And people said Danny had the hero-complex. Floating up, Danny flew over to her side before tackling her in as big and tight a hug as he could manage. He knew his expression was pained when she hugged him back even tighter. "I shut everybody out, Jazz. How were you supposed to know-"

"But I did! I knew how bad you were taking it all! That day I cut your hair I should have run after you!" That day he had seen how closely he resembled Dan and panicked. The day he had run away and fought with Randy and it had all led to fire and heartbreak. "I could have  _stopped_ this-"

"Everything is as it should be." Oh. Huh. For once, the words didn't taste like ash in his mouth. They… They were right. "It had to happen, Jazzy." Instead of the old name calming her, Danny winced as he heard a sob torn out of his big sister's throat. That really was it, though, wasn't it? Jazz was his  _big_ sister. She was the one he had always gone to when they were younger and then they had grown up and secrets had started building and god, why did no one tell him growing up was so goddamn difficult. "'S okay, Jazzy."

Danny buried his face against Jazz's shoulder, hiding a few of his own tears as the woman broke down in his arms. While it was uncomfortable and he had the urge to fly away as quick as possible, this was good for them- Ugh, he was turning into as big a sap as Randy.

Giving it ten or so minutes of letting them be horribly emotional, Danny finally cleared his throat, shifting his weight around. "I mean, I know I'm strong, but you're not all that light-" Okay, yeah, the punch to his side was kind of deserved, but fucking  _ow_. "Hey, someone had to break up the awkward sibling bonding moment."

"You do have a lot of practice," Jazz laughed, the sound watery and rough and still so amazing to hear. "Okay- Okay, tell me everything you can. I want to hear it all."

"That's going to take a while, you know. Don't you have packing to do?"

"It can wait." Oh. Oh, well, that… That was nice, actually. Spending time with Jazz sounded perfect right about now. "Now, start from as far back as you can."

"Okay- Okay. So, uh, it's when Andrew was still subbing for Lancer in English, actually. That's when Spectra first showed up."

::

"Then I kind of maybe  _accidentally_ burned down the building-"

"You burned down a building in France because it's where those two were trained to kill?"

"Dude! What if some firefighter guy came over and saw you flying- It's not like you all were in Amity Park!"

"I was justified! Andrew was even cheering me on!" Trying not to laugh as he defended himself, Danny watched as Sam held in laughter herself and Tucker dramatically threw himself backwards. The beanbag chair didn't do a very good job of keeping him from hitting his head on the floor, which meant Sam's laughter was no longer being held in.

"Okay, first of all, fuck you, Sam. Second of all, I'm glad you three had a honeymoon week or whatever, but setting a building on fire seems to be going to extremes, buddy."

"It was  _justified_ ," Danny whined, long and loud as he was bodily pulled into Sam's lap. He didn't fight it, only slumping back against her chest and settling down. After their last few years, they found they had grown much more tactile when sometimes it was the only way to make sure the other was still there. Those threeway rumors were still fucking hilarious.

"You know," Sam hummed, playing with his hair and oh, that was nice. "You didn't deny that honeymoon comment." Like a bolt of lightning, Danny realized his mistake had just cost him his life. "So, Danny dearest-"

"La, la, la, not listening!" Tucker actually went so far as to stuff his fingers in his ears, shaking his head. "I don't want to hear about how my best friend got fucked all week!" Danny really,  _really_ wanted to defend himself. He couldn't, but he wanted to.

"Oh, you're just jealous because he's getting fucked by two people and you aren't," Sam taunted, Danny sighing and slumping down more. There was no getting away now that Sam had shoved rock salt into  _that_ gaping wound.

"How  _dare_ you!" Oh, wow, Tucker was getting better. That screech was almost as offended as Andrew's!

Letting the two argue over his head, Danny settled back and gave a quiet sigh. Spectra had been wrong about almost all of it, but she had been right in how Danny felt the need to lay claim to one world or another. It had been too long since he had been with his best friends around him and the two lightly teasing one another-

"Motherfucker!"

"Bastard!"

"Cocksucker!"

"Oh, you fucking wish!"

Don't laugh, Danny, don't laugh. Okay, he figured he was allowed to laugh a little as the insults just went from there and got more and more outlandish. He could tell they were trying to make him laugh, though, so he didn't feel too bad.

Damn. It really was good to be home again.

::

"You're updating the ghost files?" Floating over Jack's shoulder, Danny curiously looked at the data banks that Maddie was rapidly typing information into. It looked like Jazz had copied all their notes into the 'official' Fenton database.

"We figured it was about time," Jack nodded, not even looking to notice as Danny wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders and let himself hang there. It reminded him of when he was a little kid and he used to do that all the time. "Catching up with Sam and Tuck?"

"Yeah, thought I'd check in on them before heading into the Zone." Danny watched Maddie click around on the screen, marveling a little at just how much information they had collected on ghosts over the years.

"Just be sure to be back in time for school." Ah, moms would be moms. "I might not mind you spending the night every now and then with those two boys, but they need to remember your education comes first!"

"Mom, Andy would literally shove me in a Fenton thermos if he had to in order to get me to school on time." Sad thing was? That was probably true. "Don't worry, I'll be back either tonight or tomorrow." Probably tomorrow.

Maddie gave him a look as if she knew just how much time he spent staying over at their lairs before she sighed and waved him off, "Be safe. And I do mean be  _safe_." Wha- Oh, god, no.

"Mom, please." Danny complained, moving to drop down and wrap her up in a hug and kiss her cheek, lowering his voice. "I'm okay, now."

"I know." Pretending to not see or hear the tears, Danny kissed her cheek again before launching himself towards the portal. He couldn't stop his grin as soon as he was in, the world wrapping around him like- Like  _home_. It was so- God, it was so great to be back and know he was safe in this place again.

Idly deciding on where to go, Danny thought over- Oh, no, that was much better. Grinning, Danny shot off towards a place he knew the way to as well as he did Vidya, not stopping until a miniature castle came into view. Honestly, Randy was so  _dramatic_.

"Hey, Liz." Doors opening, Danny darted in at once, feeling a sense of utter peace and safety as the doors closed shut on him. Pressing his hands up against the wall, he leaned in close with a wide smile. "Sorry I haven't been by in a while." It had been  _weeks_  since he had been to Liz. "But hey, hey, listen, some pretty awesome stuff has been happening!"

A melody of a tune fluttered into range of his hearing, a sound that reminded him of Andrew playing a song on the piano when he was in a particularly good mood. It carried a sense of warmth and safety and love and like a parent welcoming home a child. It… "Liz?" The tune changed fluidly and warmly, a cautious questioning. "I can hear you."

Music swelled and filled his head and Danny couldn't stop himself from tearing up because fuck-  _Fuck_. It had really- Randy was really- God, he knew he and Andrew would always be, but to now have  _assurance_ that it was all of them- Wait. "Oh, those saps." Vidya sounded like Randy plucking the strings of a violin and Liz sounded like Andrew throwing himself into the piano. Years of death and separation and they had always thought of the other and now they thought of him just as much and…

"Let me get settled first, okay, Liz? I have a lot to catch you up on." It was going to be them for the rest of eternity. God. He had never knew knowing an answer could feel so  _right_. "Starting with why I haven't visited in a while. Know of a ghost named Spectra?"


	57. Chapter 57

Bonjour, mes chers! Three chapters are soon coming at you and, with luck, I'll be wrapping up this story within the next week. (That's the plan, but it might be a little bit into April. We'll see how it goes!) 

As always, remember I have a tumblr with updates at ibelieveinahappilyeverafter, and that I love you all!

**Warnings for: Sexual situations (nothing explicit, but it is there)**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty Seven**

::

"And then- No, no, okay, but this is the best part! The Eiffel tower was right outside the window. Can you believe that? I thought at first that might be because of Randy, cause, I mean, you know how Randy is, but then I thought about it and I have no doubt that it was  _Andy_. He would so totally be sappy enough to plan for something like that! Plus, I mean, c'mon, when does Randy ever plan for anything?"

"Actually, it was a joint effort." Startled, Danny looked over to where Randy was leaning up against the doorway, coat and shoes kicked off somewhere and hair starting to shift back into curls now that his gel was wearing thin. It took more effort than it should have for Danny to not teleport the man over and smother him with affection.

"Eavesdropping is rude, you know." Sticking his tongue out, Danny grinned at Randy's eye roll. "I was just talking to Liz." The gentle notes played across his thoughts, Danny beaming as Randy's eyes slightly widened once the meaning hit. "I know, right?"

It had taken twenty minutes just for Danny to calm down enough to talk, but once he had settled down into the middle of Randy's bed and liberally covered himself with blankets, he hadn't stopped talking to Liz once. Stories had flown back and forth and while this had to be the fifth time he had told someone about the Spectra mess, it was… It was good. It felt like the more he said it, the less it was hurting him.

"At least this explains where you've been." The bed dipped as Randy sat himself down in the middle, Danny grinning at him. "Your ghostly features are slipping through again, now."

"Yeah." This time he didn't feel as panicked about it, either. "I think it might be because I'm in the Ghost Zone. More natural ectoplasm and all that." He could feel those features slipping through even now. It was in the way his eyes saw colors he probably wasn't supposed to see and in the way he could feel his canine teeth far sharper than they should be. Oh, the jokes he could make.

"Makes sense." Waiting for Randy to say something else - anything else - Danny raised an eyebrow as the other remained silent with nothing but a soft, fond,  _lovestricken_ look on his face.

"You're staring, you know." Instead of waving it off, Randy only gave him another smile. "You're being weird." Ignoring Liz's gleeful notes that yes, he was indeed blushing, Danny bundled himself more in his blankets. "Stop staring."

"I'm just looking at one of the ones I treasure. What's so wrong with that?" Alright, he asked for it, then. Making it seem as if he was hiding even deeper into his blankets, Danny gave a truly impressive whine, in his opinion, before darting forward and tackling Randy down onto the bed. For once it seemed the other hadn't expected it, a startled yelp leaving him as Danny settled down on top of him.

"Hi." Danny chirped, pleased as could be when Randy looked back up at him before finally laughing.

"Hi." Much better. He loved the two looking at him with those sweet, sappy looks, yeah, but seeing them happy and laughing was much better on them. "Have you been talking to Liz this whole time, then?"

"She has a lot of great stories. Especially the ones about your early mercenary days." Danny laughed as Randy shot a betrayed look to the ceiling. Squirming around, Danny felt a surge of energy as Randy tried to keep him still. "Hey- Hey, when's the last time we had a training session?"

"It's been awhile," Randy grunted, finally twisting them around to pin Danny to the bed. Instead of staying still, Danny only laughed and squirmed even more, grinning at the kiss to his neck. "At least since we had a really good one."

"We should have another one." Gathering up his strength and going absolutely still, Danny waited until Randy loosened his hold in confusion. That was the exact second he striked and sent the two tumbling off the bed, landing with jarring thumps that had Danny erupting into more laughter.

"Alright, you brat." Oh, that was a very Andy tone. It was also a very Andy glare he was being given, Randy looking tense and ready to fight back in a second. "Name the theme."

"Let me think." What theme would be good for today… As much as he loved the themes and the games, Danny felt like he would have a hard time disappearing into a character today. He was just- He was too happy being himself! He wanted to play and train, but he also kind of wanted to have a good fight, but he wanted to be himself, but- Ah.

"That's a very dangerous sense of excitement I feel from you." Oh? Oh! Right. Randy could feel emotions. "What's got you so excited?"

"I know who I wanna fight." Danny didn't need Randy's empath powers to know the other was starting to feel excited himself. Good. That was good.

"Oh? And just who do you want to fight, sweet one?" Phasing free of Randy's tight hold on his wrists, Danny shoved a hand down and wrapped his fingers around the choker Randy wore on his neck, giving it a sharp pull forward. The way his eyes flashed pure white and dilated at once was kind of amazing, really.

"I want to fight White Fang." He made sure to give the choker another sharp tug, completely unsurprised when he found himself on his stomach with his face pressed against the carpet, a hand on the back of his head keeping him pressed down and a cold, quiet laugh brushing against his hearing.

"Are you really sure that's what you want, sweet one?" Oh. Hm. Danny so often had seen Andrew lose himself to the Priest, but he had rarely - if ever - seen Randy give in to White Fang. He was always too careful and too controlled, and when he finally broke it was Randy Beaumont who broke. This, though… This wasn't quite Randy. "A part of you is still human, after all. And humans can be so…  _Fragile_." Danny felt sharp pricks of pain against his neck, Randy's claws digging into him and drawing blood and oh, fuck. Okay, maybe Danny was a little more adventurous than even he first thought.

"I'm not just human, though." Snapping into his ghost half, Danny used the burst of energy from the transformation to throw out a blast from all around him, pleased when he felt Randy's weight disappear. "You can't defeat me." Really, Randy and Andrew were too much alike some days. They both feared losing control.

"Ooh, that's right, you managed to defeat the Priest, didn't you?" With his coat and shoes missing and his hair a mess of spikes and curls, Randy looked far more feral than even White Fang at his worst. Danny loved it. "How difficult was that?"

"I managed." Hard. It had been very hard because Andrew was so fucking  _Andrew_. It was impossible to get through his stubborn attitude some days. Randy, though… Oh, Randy took every comment to heart and bore all his scars for the world to see. He wore them well.

"You thought the Priest was a difficult enemy?" The stories said that the Priest controlled White Fang couldn't be more wrong. Danny felt it as he scrambled to his feet and flew through the lair as fast as possible, heart speeding and excited gasps and laughter tumbling out of him. White Fang was the one in control. Always.

A jarring crash to the floor had Danny throwing up a shield, eyes wide when three bullets ricocheted off it, one of them bouncing against the wall and almost hitting him in the back before he brought up another shield. "Jeez. Almost forgot about those." Randy and his ricochet shots were  _lethal_.

"You wanted White Fang." It was said like an accusation, but Danny heard the question within it. Facing Randy -  _White Fang_ \- Danny beamed and dropped into the fighting stance that he had been working on for the last year. That was all it took to have the other launching forward again, Danny rushing forward to meet him.

It was  _exhilarating_. Every ghost fight had Danny too distracted and worried to ever do anything like enjoy it, with Andrew and Vlad he was hyperfocused on figuring out just what the two were planning to do next, but with Randy it was  _different_. With Randy, Danny could just let himself go and  _fight_.

There was nothing that was 'carefully measured' or 'thought out.' It was just them, fighting and scrapping and pushing each other more and more to their breaking points. Andrew, even when pushing him into the Priest, had always just been a bit too careful when it was Danny. Randy, though. Randy never held back. That's why he fired his gun. Randy knew what Danny could handle, even if all the others didn't.

Hitting the floor roughly and having the wind knocked out of him, Danny bit back a swear as he was harshly pinned to the floor with no way for him to twist out of the grip. He saw a sharp grin and his mind raced to find a way to escape- Oh. Right. Leaning up, Danny slammed his lips harshly against Randy's, startling him out of whatever daze he was in and knocking him down into another. He also might have  _actually_ knocked him down.

"I don't know about you, but I think this fight just got a whole lot more interesting." Danny licked his lips as he straddled Randy's hips, delighted at how instead of blushing, Randy only looked  _hungry_.

"I think you're rather right, sweet one." Perking up at hearing the cocking of a gun, Danny scrambled out of the way, just barely dodging a bullet that skidded past his cheek. Glancing back, he frowned at seeing a clear, white gun made of pure ectoplasmic energy.

"Forgot you could do that," Danny grumbled, wiping at the thin line of blood on his cheek as his grin slowly came back. "If that's how it's going to be, though…" Danny breathed in and when he breathed out his breath showed in a swirl of ice crystals.

"Didn't you ever read the original book?" Randy smirked, more guns flickering into existence. "Ice isn't enough to stop a wolf's fangs."

"Who said I wanted to stop your fangs." Danny knew his voice was a purr. He knew it was. So instead of blushing, he tilted his head to the side  _just_ so and- Ah, Randy looked even more excited. Good. "Come on, White Fang."

As they launched into another round, Danny couldn't stop his wild laughter as they fought. Maybe that was why he understood these two so well. Just as they had White Fang and the Priest, Danny had 'Phantom.' The cocky, self-absorbed hero who couldn't lose in a fight and knew that he was the best out of all of them.

That was the point of all this, though. Just as the two had helped Danny show him his sides were one in the same person, Danny was going to show them that they were also the same. It wasn't- It was just Danny, Andy, and Randy. Just them. No one else. The Sect stopped having a say a long time ago.

Just thinking about that building and the fear in Randy's eyes and the wild joy in Andrew's once it started to burn… Danny dodged every bullet before slamming into Randy roughly, the two crashing against a wall and falling to the ground to try and gain the upper hand. Danny managed to get a hold on Randy's choker - no, his  _collar_  - smirking as the man immediately went limp on instinct. He fought back, but that single second was enough to pin him.

"Mine." Jeez, he could already hear Sam calling him a barbarian and Jazz insisting on more of those family therapy sessions, but still.  _Still_. "The Sect doesn't get you anymore." Randy squirmed and Danny tightened his grip, pleased when Randy flicked his gaze up to him, almost questioningly. "I burned the Sanctum to the ground and stole their two best assassins."

Under him, Randy froze and went completely still before something seemed to click into place, a weak, but  _beautiful_ smile appearing. Danny gave a bright one of his own, rubbing at the back of Randy's neck as he bent down for a kiss. "Even if some of them are still out there, they're nothing without their Priest and the bite of their vicious wolf. Without you two, they were nowhere near as deadly. So, we win."

"We won." Two decades and a hell of a lot of confusion, but it seemed it finally sunk in. Danny wasn't surprised that Randy had taken so long to accept that. He wasn't used to winning.

"You won." Moving to instead cup his cheek, Danny rubbed his thumb under Randy's eye, sighing when the man relaxed and closed his eyes at once. "You had some loses." Randy's parents, Sylvia, Andrew never knowing what a true home was until death, and even their lives. "But you won."

"Jesus." Laughing as the man sounded ready to cry, Danny leaned down for another quick, gentle kiss, getting distracted for a minute. Maybe five. Maybe. It was hard to keep track when Randy was so receptive to the kisses and Danny was panting for breath as Randy just kept pressing closer and closer. "Fuck, Danny."

"Figured words wouldn't get through to you the same way they do to Andy," Danny muttered, moaning as teeth bit sharply at the side of his neck. "You're- A-Ah. You're more… Fuuuck, Randy." Danny's train of thought was completely broken up as hands phased past his suit and fingers dug into his skin, pulling them closer together. A burst of wild energy and Danny was pressed into something soft like a bed or couch, touches not stopping for even a second. "Whi- Ah! White Fang was only deadly whe-n the Priest-  _Randy_."

At this point, Danny's suit had been pushed out of the way as much as possible and there were bite marks all along his skin that wouldn't be healing for days. Danny fucking loved it. "Had to protect him somehow."

"So you tried to kill them before-" The stuttering words and scrambled thoughts were completely stopped, Danny whining low and quiet as his clothes (when had he changed back to his human form?) were completely phased out of the way and Randy's  _tongue_ \- "I swear to god if you stop-"

"I wasn't planning on it," Randy chuckled, the sound vibrating against Danny's skin and fuuuck. "Just stay still, mon douce, and let me thank you, hm? Let me show you just how much I enjoy being collared by you two."

Woo- Ooh, boy, okay, alright, then! That- Mm. Danny was not prepared for  _that_ when he started up a training session, but like hell he was going to argue against it now. "Wa- Wait." First, though. "You're- You're okay, right? We don't- God, fuck, we don't need to have some long, emotional talk about all of this to like, make sure we're okay?"

Randy didn't answer with words, and, really.  _That_ was all the answer Danny needed. Overall, he had a feeling things were going to be just fine when it came to him and his mates.


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter Fifty Eight**

::

"I can't believe we're already halfway through April." Pausing from where he was trying to time Andrew's arrival by 'accidentally' running into him, Danny looked to Sam with wide eyes and, wait, what? "Danny, you can't be that surprised."

"I- I mean, no, but- Actually, yeah, I'm really surprised. It was the start of winter, like, ten seconds ago." Had it really passed by that quickly? On one hand it felt like the start of the new school year and Andrew coming to teach had been years ago, but on the other hand it all felt as if it had passed so  _quickly_.

"You know what they say, bro. Time flies the older you get." Tucker paused from where he was trying to pry off the back of his phone with a screwdriver. "No, that's not it. Uh, time flies when you throw a clock out the window?"

"Hopeless," Sam sighed, throwing an arm around Danny's shoulders and bringing him in for a tight hug that had him squashed up against her. He would have been more annoyed if he hadn't noticed some of the dramatics were genuine. "Doing good?"

"For the millionth time, I'm okay." Not good or perfect, but okay. Better. "C'mon, Sammy, where's my heartless best friend that used to criticize my life choices?"

"Oh, like the fact you don't use condoms?" Danny  _felt_ the blush that erupted over his face, but he immediately forgave Sam when he saw Andrew, having been walking past them, looked even worse before jerking back and staring at Sam with wide eyes. Sam winked. "Morning, Mr. Riter."

"This is why you're disallowed from visiting Vidya," Andrew finally muttered, still blushing as he turned and retreated as quickly as he could, Danny moving to hug Sam back.

"I love you." Because that? That had been beautiful and well worth his own embarrassment. "You're my best friend."

"Excuse you." Blindly reaching an arm out, Danny snagged Tucker by the shirt and pulled him in for the forming group hug. "Hey, come on, don't stretch the shirt!"

"You come on, you know you're my best brother." That had Tucker pausing from his struggles to escape, looking surprised and jeez. Danny really hadn't been spending much time with them the last few months, had he? "Do we need to have emotional bonding talks? Because if we have to we will. I'll even hold your hand-"

"Oh, shut up." Danny laughed even as his cheek was smooshed by Tucker's hand and he was roughly pushed away, Sam snapping.

"Hey! When I said don't put me in the middle of your fights, I meant  _literally_ , too." Instead of letting them get away, Danny only hugged them closer, feeling more peaceful than he had in a long while. This was just… It was-

The warning bell rang and the three shared a look before rushing off, Sam bursting into giggles as Tucker slipped and almost hit the floor, Danny saving him with a quick burst of flight before continuing on his way and hoping no one saw.

Jeez, things were in no way perfect in his messed up life, but… He couldn't say he disliked it. Then again, maybe a perfect day or two wouldn't go amiss since now that he was actually caring about his grades again he was realizing just how far behind he was on his homework. He didn't remember studying this many things over the last few weeks… Fuck, Randy was going to give him the disappointed look while Andrew complained in French about 'where he went wrong.'

Some part of his struggling must've shown since Tucker sighed as they walked into French, Danny glancing to where Andrew was- Oh, right, Andrew said he was subbing because of a sick baby. "You can use my notes if you need them, you know."

"See? Best brother." The last few months really had been hell, and those weeks between Spectra's death and Spring Break might as well have been a black hole. "Okay, so, what rumors have I missed?"

Tucker, gem that he was, didn't even have to ask for clarification. "Well, Paulina thinks you two broke up."

"Pity for her."

"Uh huh." Tucker failed in hiding his laugh. "Dash thinks that one of you realized you weren't that gay, I think Kwan, romantic he is, suggested that you were so quiet because he proposed, and someone suggested that Phantom finally found out about the 'affair' and 'set you straight.'"

"Damn, those are some good ones." Which one would be the most fun to play with, though? "Hm…" Shame he didn't have a ring he could borrow.

"I don't like that look, Danny. I know that look, and I really don't like it."

"All's fair in love and war, oui?" Ah, ghost hearing. Andrew was already looking up at him from where he was writing on the board, very suspicious. Danny fell into his role at once, trying to remember how he first felt when Andrew and him had confessed. "H-Hi, Mr. Riter."

"Danny," Andrew greeted, Danny pretty sure he was the only one who could hear the undercurrent of a warning in his tone. "Did you have a nice break?"

"Yeah… Yeah, I really did." It really wasn't hard to think of that time. God, Danny had been so  _scared_ of having his feelings found out, but Andrew had just smiled and laughed and it had been so  _right_. "It was perfect, Mr. Riter."

Instead of answering, Andrew merely cleared his throat and looked back to the board, Danny grinning at seeing the tinges of purple that spread out over gray skin. 'Casually' getting closer, Danny lowered his voice, trying not to laugh, "Having fun?"

"You're a terrible human being," Andrew complained, not even looking at him. Danny knew the other would crack if he did. "Honestly, of all the things that happened your sudden lack of flirting was a blessing."

"Randy already told me how much you enjoyed it." Good thing Andrew was writing in dry erase marker. Chalk would've broken in a second. "I think it's sweet-"

"Oh, shut up," Andrew huffed, Danny seeing the hidden smile on his face. "What story are you playing to today, then? I've heard quite a few."

"Mm, I'll let you guess." Danny fearlessly leaned into Andrew's side for a few moments before he was clearing his throat. "Looking forward to today's lesson, Mr. Riter." With that, he was quickly heading to his desk. Tucker was wheezing in laughter and Paulina was muttering a 'holy shit' under her breath. Beautiful, truly.

' _So it's possible I just tortured Andy a teeny tiny bit._ ' As usual, it didn't take long for Randy to text back a response, a slew of question marks appearing. ' _Long story short? Rumors of a surprise proposal. My behavior may have given the impression I confirmed it. I mean I didn't say anything so really they're just reading into what they want to see right?_ '

' _I love you._ ' Yeah, Danny thought that might be Randy's answer. ' _Let me know if you need a fake ring._ '

Danny was halfway through typing his response of not minding if it was real before he quickly backspaced and nope, no, not brave enough to go that far. Simple thumbs up would do.

' _You almost asked for a real one, didn't you_?'

' _Fuck off_ '

"I think Randy just got Andy's revenge for him," Danny grumbled, turning his phone off to ignore the slew of smiling faces sent his way. "Why am I in love with assholes?"

"Because they make you seem like less of an asshole?" Ah, good ole Tucker. The only one he could trust. "Oh, I stole your French homework, by the way." Then again…

"Dude, Tuck, I've told you this, ghost hearing."

"He knows I just use your homework to check my accent marks."

"Good excuse."

"Good morning, class." Quieting, Danny tried not to laugh as the class tried to respond in French.  _Tried_. It seemed spring break had wiped away all knowledge of French. "Yes, there was a reason I greeted you in English. Before you ask, no, Mrs. Flores was not fired. Her newborn had a small fever so she took the day off. She'll be back tomorrow and expecting your homework to be complete. For those of you who didn't do it, thank whatever god you believe in. You've been given a day long reprieve."

Danny tried not to laugh as everyone in the class slumped in relief. "Now, I know you all have missed me  _so dearly_ , so I'm sure you'll indulge me in telling me what you've learned.  _No English, today. French only._ " Just like that, the relief turned to terror.

" _So mean_ ," Danny tsked quietly, beaming at Andrew's smirk. And people thought  _Randy_ was the mischievous one.

" _Now, let's begin_."

::

"Really? Is Elle okay?" Hearing his parents ask about  _Elle_ , Danny snuck his way towards the kitchen, hiding behind the wall and listening.

"Oh, she's fine." Vlad. Okay, Vlad was here. Strange, but not so uncommon anymore. "She actually enjoyed the thought of a fight before I threatened to call the authorities on them. She was still sulking about missing out when I left."

"What good would calling the police do? They're the dogs of the government." Oh, wow, Danny hadn't ever heard his mother that bitter - or at least, not for a while.

"You didn't hear?" Ooh, Danny did  _so_ not like that tone. "They've broken off from the government and are now working under their own jurisdiction." There was a rather nasty swear, Danny shocked to his very core to hear it had come from  _Jack_. Now he was  _really_ curious as to who- "The Guys-in-White, Daniel."

"Hey! I don't give away your hiding spots when you need to be creepy and lurk around corners!" Danny shuffled his way into the kitchen anyways, dropping his bag over the back of a chair and looking between the three of them. "What's going on?"

"It seems the Guys-in-White have been getting more persistent," Maddie sighed, rubbing at her eyes. Jack was quick to push her favorite cup towards her, Danny frowning at the coffee inside. That bad, then. "They've been visiting Vlad frequently."

"I find it odd that they  _haven't_ been visiting you," Vlad muttered into his own cup, shaking his head. Danny had to take a moment to stare because Vlad was still wearing his glasses, which, yeah, that made him look much less evil supervillain. Now if they could just get him to cut his hair… "Daniel? Any more visits to the school?"

"Not since the last one." He wasn't even going to ask how Vlad  _knew_ about that visit. Vlad knew everything. "Not sure if it's because it's a  _school_  or if they're just trying to find the best way to capture me and Andy both."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter," Vlad snorted. "They never had much of a sense of 'right and wrong.'" Wasn't that the truth.

"What do you think it means for us that they're no longer government funded?" Because that sounded like a good thing, maybe? Less money meant less weapons and less chance of hurting them, right?

"It means very,  _very_ dark things for us, little badger." Vlad was serious enough that Danny wasn't even annoyed by the nickname, only focused on the tendril of dread he felt curl low inside him. Vlad seemed to notice, shaking his head and huffing, "I'm giving Elle a curfew."

"She'd break it just to try and get a chance at being a rebellious teeanger." Danny pushed a chair up over to Jack, sitting down and cautiously stealing the man's coffee. When Jack made no attempts to steal it back, Danny quickly downed the contents. Ah, sweet as Randy's lies. "Hey, have you heard anything about Walker?"

"Walker?" Vlad frowned, looking to be thinking for a moment. "Last I heard he was in Observant custody, but…"

"But?" Danny hated buts. Buts never turned out to be good news in his life.

"There are rumors." Groaning, Danny got up and went to the coffee maker. He would need it to deal with this. "Oh, no need to be that dramatic. I've just heard that the Observants released him."

"Meaning he escaped. The Observants only say they release someone when they escape." He'd have to ask Clockwork, then. "And 'there are rumors' means not good things, Vlad." Staring at the empty coffee pot, Danny groaned even louder.

"You're worse than your father during finals," Maddie said, sounding fond as Danny continued his crusade to find more coffee. He was distracted by Jack's embarrassed expression and Vlad's shudder.

"What… What happened during finals?" The men were quiet and Maddie's smile got wider. "You know what? No. Forget I asked. I'm going to visit a friend, but I'll be back in time for dinner."

"An hour after dinner, then?" Oh, that was harsh. Danny couldn't help his laugh, though.

"Hey, trust me, Mom, tonight I'll  _definitely_ be on time."

::

"You're my favorite." Danny had only just gotten to the tower in the Clock Citadel and now he had a full cup of warm coffee that was just cooled off enough to drink. He was so glad his ghost half dulled the effects of coffee. He didn't want to be addicted to caffeine highs like Andrew was quite yet. "Hi, by the way."

"Good afternoon, Daniel," Clockwork chuckled, ruffling Danny's hair fondly. Danny could tell the other was checking him over for any wounds or scars as he did so. Considering how things had ended the last time he had seen him…

Chugging down the coffee as quick as he could, Danny set the emptied cup on the table next to the couch Jazz was sleeping on before launching himself at Clockwork, pleased when the other caught him in surprise. "Thank you." Clockwork went still and Danny knew he had been right. "For giving me the time I needed." Curling close, Danny let his tail form as he smiled up at Clockwork. "Thanks for being a great dad."

Aw. Clockwork blushed! It was actually the same blue as Danny's, he was pretty sure. Maybe a bit lighter. "Here I thought you were trying to avoid that line of thinking due to Jasmine-"

"Don't ruin the moment!" Danny paused, slowly looking back to his empty cup and looking slightly to the right where, yes, Jazz was indeed curled up on the couch there asleep. "Uh, Clockwork?"

"She's been sacrificing three hours of sleep each night to catch up on her 'neglected studies.'" Ah. "I convinced her to take a few timeless naps here."

"I'd be willing to bet my limited allowance that it was all a plan to spend more time with you." That seemed Jazz enough. Besides, Danny would do the same if it meant spending time with  _his_ mates- Ah, Jazz and Clockwork mates, don't think about it! "Walker."

"I assume there was a question in there, but as I have not yet gained the ability to read minds, I might have need of you to elaborate."

"Right, sorry." Focus, Fenton. "Vlad was talking about the Dicks-in-White and how they split off from the government and it got me thinking about Walker. Vlad said he was 'released,' but I thought it probably wasn't that simple."

"Indeed," Clockwork said, smile wry as he flicked his hand towards the time mirrors. Danny saw nothing but static before- Nope, still static. "After your rather eventful Christmas-" Jesus, that whole mess had been Christmas? It felt  _so_ much longer than that- Randy hadn't even been together with them yet, then! Actually, that hadn't been until Valentine's Day. It had felt far earlier, though… "Your perception of time might still be a little unbalanced."

"Ah, sorry. Yeah, though. Everything feels all jumbled up." Spectra's tormenting had felt like it had taken place over a single month before the bridge, Andrew's death felt like it was still only a week or so ago, Valentine's Day felt like it had been back in the fall, and Walker's mess felt like it had been  _last_ year. "Is that normal?"

"With major life events, yes." Mm… "It's a lingering side effect from spending so long in the Citadel, Daniel. It will settle down by May."

"Oh, yeah, I was meaning to ask that, but how long was I in Citadel? It felt pretty long." Danny wasn't expecting to see Clockwork look so  _tired_. "Clock- Clockwork?"

"How many times do you think you've asked me that question?" For some reason, Danny felt as if he was treading into very dangerous territory. "Mortal beings weren't meant to stay so long in timeless places."

"Ri- Right." Feeling a little better as Clockwork ran a hand through his hair, Danny sighed quietly. "Um, sorry. Walker?" Danny tucked all the information away to mull over later. The shaky mental calender he could handle for a while, but those absent memories from staying in Citadel? That was weird.

"As I was saying." Danny flashed an apologetic smile. "After Christmas, Walker had his status as Warden stripped away and was kept in custody for seven weeks." Oddly specific number. "He escaped." Ah. "While they have deemed him a minor threat and dropped major charges, I haven't been able to keep an eye on him."

"Wait- Seriously?" Danny looked back to the screens and static.  _Static_. "He's hiding himself?"

"And doing a very good job of it." Ah, that was bitter. Danny hadn't ever really heard  _Clockwork_  that bitter before. Angry and scared, yeah, but not bitter. "I see him occasionally, but it feels as if that's only when he  _wishes_ for me to see him."

"Clever." Walker knew about the Observants, so he knew about Clockwork and had found a way to hide from all of them. Clever was dangerous. "Is it the same as when you try to look at that Section 13 thing?"

"Remarkably. Although I managed to find one thing." Oh? "Your white-suited problems go by a new name now that they've broken off government ties."

"Section 13," Danny muttered, pausing as he looked back to Clockwork. "Do you just actively find ways to avoid saying 'Guys-in-White'?" At the lack of an answer, Danny choked on a laugh, "Oh my god. You're more pretentious than  _Andy_."

The laughter was good. It kept him distracted from thinking on just what all of this meant. It kept him from thinking on what they were  _missing_. The Guys-in-White had started to become a threat, but from what he was hearing, things had just gotten even more dangerous. He had a feeling this Section 13 was a bigger threat than they had ever imagined.


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter Fifty Nine**

**::**

"Danny- Hey, Danny- Stop shoving! It's a big hallway you idiots just walk around me!" Startled, Danny shared a look with an equally confused Sam as Tucker fought against the tide of students going to their last class of the day.

"Any idea what that's about?" Sam asked quietly, the noise in the hall too loud for Danny to make out whatever Tucker was trying to whisper-shout over to him.

"No idea, but he's not screaming at the top of his lungs and I'm not sensing any ghosts, so it's gotta be something else." If he was trying to be discreet then that meant it was something ghost related, but also not ghost related?

"You think he'll remember we have phones?" The two walked into Creative Writing, Andrew furiously writing on the board with a pen shoved in his mouth and a few papers barely an inch away from his face. "Has he slept at all recently?"

"Nope. He's been making lesson plans to help everyone get ready for testing. He's still pissed that we even  _have_ testing for reading and writing." Danny had actually been curling up with Randy most nights - at least, the nights he wasn't staying in his own room. "Also, didn't Tucker break his phone?"

"Oh, right." Sam frowned. "He was trying to rewire it, wasn't he? Something about how the phone companies start overloading the phones when a new model comes out?"

"I guess. I dunno, I don't use my phone all that much. Plus, if it gets messed up, I can probably blame Technus. You know he's got half the Ghost Zone hooked up-"

"So all the ghosts can have internet and data, yes, Danny. I know you're proud of your little temper tantrum toddlers, but please remember they've tried to take over the world multiple times." Instead of answering, Danny could only stare with wide eyes. "Wha- What?"

"'Temper tantrum toddlers.'" That was beautiful. "I can't decide if that's better or worse than suffering spooks-"

"Oh, shut up!" Sam gave him a sharp shove, Danny bursting into laughter as the two took their seats, the warning bell ringing. "Okay, okay, you really have no idea what Tucker was on about?"

"None, but I don't have a good feeling about it." Tucker had looked almost panicked when trying to get to them. "If it was a Pariah level threat, though, he would be bursting in here, attendance be damned." Looking to the door, Danny silently counted to eight, Sam looking to be doing the same thing judging by the way she was pressing her fingers down against the desk. "Nope. We're good."

"Good afternoon, class. Now, this is the one and only time I'm encouraging cell phone use in class." Oh? "I know for a fact only three of you read my hand outs, so I want you you to take a picture of this board. Save it, print it out, make it your lock screen, I don't care. Just know that this is everything you need to know to be able to pass your exams."

"Whoa." Yeah, Danny had to agree with Sam on that one. The board was covered in almost a hundred lines of short, concise instructions and tips, Andrew looking like he had one cup of coffee too many as he beamed. "No wonder your grades got so much better."

"I told you he was a great teacher." Danny couldn't stop the pride in his voice, but he had a feeling Andrew didn't mind. The class didn't seem to mind all the notes either, judging by how many cameras he heard going off.

"Excellent! Now, today-" A sharp rapping on the door interrupted his words, Andrew frowning and glancing to Danny with a dark look.

"Unexpected company," Danny said quietly to Sam.

"Wonder who it could be." Sam leaned back and crossed her arms, Danny smiling a bit as he saw her shift towards her bag where all her Fenton tech was.

"We're about to find out." The door began to open. "And behind door number one is-" The words stuck in his throat and Danny was completely and totally unprepared for the fear he felt. A look to Andrew showed he looked just as surprised and unnerved.

"I thought I told you gentlemen last time-" One of the agents - were they still agents if they no longer worked for the government? - shoved a piece of paper in Andrew's face.

"Relax, ghost, we have a search warrant." Somehow, 'Section 13' sounded much more dangerous than the Guys-in-White. "We also require your full and complete cooperation in this matter."

"Oh, it'll be my absolute  _joy_ to sell out my entire kind to an existence of experimentation and torture." Andrew looked away in 'fear' as one of the agents glared at him, Danny remembering that Andrew had taken on a shy and scared demeanor around the agents last time. "What do you want?"

"Under the jurisdiction of Section 13 and the full knowledge that you live in a ghost-filled territory we are ordering you to tell us the location of Danny Phantom." As one of them spoke, the other looked right at Danny. For a second, Danny thought they were merely making sure none of the students did something stupid, but then the agent's gaze didn't move. He was looking at Danny. He was  _looking_ at  _Danny_.

"I beg your pardon! I've never heard of Section 13 and even if I had there is no government on this earth that has control over me!" Of course. Of  _course_. Oh, he had been such an  _idiot_. Walker. Walker knew who he was. Walker  _knew who he was_.

After what had happened, Walker had no qualms about keeping Danny's secret for him - or Vlad's, either. That meant that by now Section 13 knew about half ghosts and they knew who they were, too. The only reason that Danny wasn't being dragged out in cuffs was probably because they couldn't explain away kidnapping a child out of school - yet.

"Danny." Sam's kick had him looking over more than her hiss, the girl frowning at him. Danny only shook his head, mouthing out Walker's name. He could see when realization hit. " _Fuck_." Yeah. Fuck. If they got proof of who Danny was then it would be like that summer with Freakshow all over again. He would never have a secret identity again.

Watching them and Andrew argue, Danny tried to look mildly confused and concerned instead of shaking in fear like he wanted to. They were being smart about what they were doing. That was probably the scariest thing of all. Incompetent ghost hunters were one thing, but smart, ruthless, and efficient ghost hunters… He had been lucky before, but he felt as if his luck had just run out.

" _Enough_." Andrew sensed the danger, too, then. It wasn't the Priest, but Ghostwriter who was growling at them. "You seem to be under the delusion that you have played this game longer than I have. I assure you, this is not the case."

"Just cooperate with us peacefully and we'll-"

"You'll what? Make sure my death is a quick and peaceful one? Try again."

"We can do this the easy way, ghost, or…" Their weapons were lined with red and Danny recalled that Christmas Day and Walker and Vlad's  _stolen_ technology. Vlad had been very dangerous when driven by revenge and these weapons were very, very deadly.

"I'm rather enjoying the sound of that second one." Andrew stood his ground and his disguise of scared teacher fell away. For a second Danny almost saw a keyboard flick into existence around him. "You do your research. Perhaps you know of my arrangement with the principal here."

"Yeah, we do." The agent in front smirked, shouldering the gun he had been carrying the entire time. "Use your powers and get sent back to that hell hole."

"Actually, I've been given permission to use my powers when I deem the situation appropriate. Right now, agents, my students look afraid at the two men who interrupted my lesson and are carrying guns. I do believe that deems the use of my powers."

"You wouldn't dare." Andrew's gaze skipped around the class, landing on Danny's gaze and a million conversations seemed to flow between them, Andrew's entire being growing sharper as he looked back to the- To the  _hunters_.

"Try me." Surprisingly - or maybe not surprisingly - Danny felt more and more relaxed the angrier Andrew became. "Ask your  _boss_ which one he fears more. The Priest or the Ghostwriter." Whatever meaning the two got out of it, they were both either removing their hands from their weapons or holstering their guns. "Get out of this school."

"This isn't over,  _ghost_. You can be sure that we'll be back." The two looked at Danny and it took everything in him to not sink down in his seat or run away.

"Oh, I'm very much looking forward to running into you two again." The door shut and Andrew was pulling out his phone, powers flicking out to lock the door even as he looked to the class. "Silent study."

Silent ended up being whispers breaking out at once, Danny slumping down in his seat and grateful for the hand that clutched at his. Sam gave him a tired smile when he finally looked over, the girl's voice as weak as her smile, "Guess we know what Tucker was trying to say."

"He probably didn't think they'd be that dangerous even with them being with Walker, now." Tucker had looked worried, but not panicked. What had just happened, though? That…

Looking back to Andrew, Danny heard him speaking low and quick into his phone and oh, he had called Randy. Andrew must have been really spooked if he was- "-blood blossoms-" They… They had blood blossoms? Shit-  _Shit_. Danny hadn't even  _noticed_. How had he not noticed something like blood blossoms? Was it because he was sitting away from them and not actively using his powers?

A wave of familiar energy spiked in the classroom and Danny blinked even as some students yelped or screamed as Randy appeared on top of Andrew's desk, tapping his phone against his chin as he leaned back with crossed legs. The dramatics did a little to lift Danny's spirits. ...Pft. Spirits.

"The situation just became much more complicated." Ah, well, there went that good mood. Randy worried was one thing, and joking another, but calm and serious? Not good.

"Very," Andrew agreed, sliding his own phone away and nervously running a hand through his hair. Danny kind of hated that he couldn't just fly over and run a hand through the hair himself.

"Mm." Randy looked over the class before glancing to the clock. "Class dismissed. Stay in groups and do me a favor and call your parents? I'm sure they'll all be  _delighted_ to hear about how men with guns who  _aren't_ government affiliated just threatened the children of Amity Park."

"That's one way to cause a riot," Sam laughed, standing up and clutching her bag far too tightly to be casual. "I'm gonna bail Tuck out and we're gonna go straight to your place and tell your parents."

"Sam, you're an utter gem." His friends knew him too well to reassure him  _and_ know that he was going straight with Andrew and Randy. "Armed?"

"Always," Sam smirked, pushing at his back. "Go on. GW looks ready to vibrate out of his skin with how worried he looks."

"Randy's not much better." Giving Sam a quick, tight hug, Danny grabbed his backpack and quickly walked over to Andrew and Randy. Fingers found his and in a dizzying rush they were catching their balance on stone, Danny dropping his bag and throwing himself at Andrew as tight as he could.

"Ssh, it's okay, mon cher." Andrew caught him at once, holding him close as a gentle lullaby played through his head, distinctive piano notes letting him know they were at Liz. "I've got you, Danny, I've got you. Randy-"

"Bad. It's very bad." Squirming in Andrew's hold, Danny looked over to where Randy looked  _exhausted_. A moment and Danny and Andrew both were wrapping him up in a hug, Randy huffing a laugh at their teamwork. "You two okay?"

"Scared, but physically alright."

"Enraged, but I'm alright as well."

"Good." Randy threw an arm around them both, holding them close. "Being scared keeps you alert and anger gets shit done."

"You've taken a job." Wait- What? Startled, Danny looked up to Randy, the man looking serious. It wasn't quite Randy, but it wasn't White Fang, either. It was more… Ah. "Who?"

"Three hours ago Observant guards went to retrieve Walker from where he has been taking up residence in the human world. A hearing was called to decide if the deserved warden status back. When the guard returned-" Randy swallowed, Danny feeling fear for what came next. "He had severe burns caused by high doses of direct contact with blood blossoms. A single guard returned, but three were sent." Oh- Oh, god.

"They were sending a message." Fuck, fuck,  _fuck_. Danny knew it wasn't his fault - he  _knew_ it wasn't. Still. It somehow felt like it was. "Your job?"

"The Mercenary's job is to bring in Walker by any means necessary and to eliminate him if he's deemed an extreme threat. Andy-"

"Don't. Don't you  _dare_ say something stupid like telling us to stay away. Those are  _my_ students and  _my_ mate they threatened today. I have a right to fight in this battle."

"And it's me he's after." Danny finally spoke, giving Andrew a sharp look when he tried to interrupt. "No. It's my town and my home and it's  _me_ Walker is going after. This is my fight, too, Randy, and you can't just-"

Danny was cut off with bright laughter, Danny at least satisfied to see that Andrew looked just as surprised as he felt. Randy just shook his head, bringing them in close for another hug again. "Actually," he said softly, "I was going to ask for your help." Oh. "We're stronger together after all, right?"

"Right!" Walker and Section 13 had just become a threat worse than Spectra. At least with her she had only been after Danny. This, however? Walker had made it obvious before just how little he cared about others safety during their fights. If he was willing to overshadow people then, Danny shuddered to think what he would be willing to do now.

Whatever they were up to, Danny would stop them. Danny, Andrew, and Randy. They  _were_ stronger together, after all. They were going to stop him. They had to.

::

"You don't accept help on jobs." Stirring his cup of coffee, Andrew stared right at Randy where the other had walked into the kitchen.

"The sky is blue. Now, are we done station the obvious?" Oh, testy. He really was scared about all of this, wasn't he?

As Randy sat down, Andrew pushed over the cup of coffee, pleased when Randy drank it without checking it for poison as he used to do. Ah, maybe that was it. "You're not afraid of losing us, anymore."

"That's part of it." Randy smirked after a minute or two of silence after his answer, Andrew huffing as he realized he must have been glaring for that smirk to form. "I wasn't able to help even when I knew Spectra was tearing him apart. I can't…" Ah.

"I know." It seemed neither of them could stand by and let Danny get hurt all over again. Not after all that had just happened. This time, they were fighting on the front lines. "Will you be okay?"

"I have to admit, taking jobs from the Observants isn't my favorite, but this works out in my interests. I would have gone after Walker whether they ordered me to or not. Will  _you_ be okay, Ghostwriter?"

"Danny told you about that." Andrew huffed, refusing to admit there was any trace of a blush on his face even as Randy moved to kiss at his cheek fondly. "Well, I wasn't going to pull a knife out in  _school_."

"Mhm." Feeling the palm rubbing at his cheek, Andrew sighed and pressed into the touch immediately. "Danny?"

"Asleep. Restless, but asleep." There would be nightmares, though. There were always nightmares, especially with things such as this.

"Andy." Snapping his attention back to Randy at the tone, Andrew got distracted by the eyes that caught on his own. "You can't be the Priest here."

"I know." Because the Priest was trailed by White Fang, and if he lost it then Randy would be right behind him. "I know, but…"

"We'll keep him safe, Andy. I promise. Have I ever broken a promise to you?"

"No, you haven't," Andrew chuckled, accepting the soft kiss with a sigh that was just as soft. "We'll keep him safe, Randy. I promise you."

"I know." It was easy to hear the words that went unspoken. I know.  _Just as I will keep you safe_. "C'mon. Let's get to bed before we get any more sappy."

"That's possible?" It was gratifying to hear Randy fight down a bout of laughter, Andrew nodding and standing. His questions had been answered, after all. As for his problems… They would take care of them together, just as they had always used to do.

The only changed variable was the silly little half-ghost asleep in the other room and probably about to roll off the bed again. "We'll protect him, Randy." They had to. This time, just this once, failure was not an option they could take. He would not let it be.


	60. Chapter 60

Bonjour, mes chers! This is going to be quick, but basically I'll be uploading and proofing the chapters I have for Substitute right now and writing/posting the last five tonight. Keep an eye on my tumblr because I'll be posting updates throughout the day as well as news for which story I'm going to be working on next! 

Enjoy!

* * *

 

**Chapter Sixty**

::

"Alright, let me see if I understand this. A few years ago a man named Freakshow managed to reveal to the world who you were and sent you on a wild hunt for ancient ghostly artifacts that were made to control and alter reality and after defeating the man who controlled  _all of reality_ , you used the gauntlet to reverse time and wipe away the memories of everything that had happened."

"Sounds about right, yeah." Danny wouldn't lie. He was enjoying Randy's baffled look a little too much. It was just so  _difficult_ to confuse Randy that he had to enjoy it when he finally did manage it.

"You think he'd just steal GW," Tucker put in, glasses pushed up as far as he could go and three computer screens around him as he worked at his desk. Danny was surprised he was only on his third cup of coffee. "If he wanted to change reality, I mean."

"My powers are limited," Andrew said, startled as Sam and Tucker suddenly groaned. "Wha- What?"

"You used your teacher voice." Sam made a face, Danny choking on laughter. "Look, I like that you make Danny happy, but I don't want to be teached on my days off school." The look of pain on Andrew's face was so beautiful and Sam's smirk just made it perfect.

"Don't torment ghosts in my room." Ah, fourth cup of coffee. "Why can't we use your parents or Vlad's equipment to get in? I'm not running the best system here, Danny."

"Can't. Section 13 is probably watching our servers. They won't suspect an attack to come from you." Danny stood up and flew over to Tucker, wrapping his arms around him. "Plus you're the bestest-"

"Oh, get off me." Tucker halfheartedly shook him off, Danny laughing and moving back far enough to cool Tucker's coffee down with a flick to the side of the cup. "And that's why you're not kicked out, yet. Your boyfriends might have to go, though."

"Oh, yeah, threaten the ones with guns and knives," Randy muttered, stretched out over the floor and yawning. He looked like a lazy mutt. It wasn't made much better by the fact Andrew was propped up against him and grading homework. "We were deadly assassins, once-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, feared the world over, great to know. We've hunted ghosts for two years and I'm carrying at least two Fenton tech weapons and a thermos on me."

"Wait- What? You are?" Danny looked over at her, frowning as he looked from the tight black jeans to the high-waist purple sweater. "You're lying."

"She's not," Andrew and Randy chimed in, Danny frowning even further. "How are- No, don't wanna know. Don't use them on us."

"Why, Danny, I would never use them on you-"

" _Or_ my mates."

"Or your bodyguards."

"Was that supposed to be an insult?"

"I suppose-"

"Oh, shut up." Tucker turned around to glare at all four of them, Danny shooting him a sunny smile. Tucker looked like he was trying not to laugh as he turned back to his screens. "Alright, I can't get into the deeper databases right now, but I got us into the mainframe."

"Impressive." Randy flit over to stand on Tucker's other side, leaning over to study the screen, frowning the more he and Tucker read before finally muttering a very nasty word in French.

"That bad, then," Sam said quietly, leaning back on Tucker's bed with a groan. "I don't want to have to save the town again. The town needs to stop needing to be saved."

"So eloquent in your papers and yet." Andrew grunted as a shoe him in his back, glaring as he turned to throw it back to her. "Randy?"

"Not good." Hovering in the air, Danny braced his hands on Tucker's shoulder as he leaned in closer, swearing himself. It looked like they had files on every ghost in Amity Park -  _recent_ files. Walker had been telling them a lot, it seemed. And there, top of the list, Public Enemy #1 - ugh - was him. Danny  _Fenton/Phantom_.

"I'm screwed." If they ever found any proof -  _anything_ at all - then Danny was never going to have a normal life again. Clockwork couldn't just wind back time whenever Danny needed him to and Andrew couldn't change reality as a whole - not on a scale that large.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Looking to Tucker, Danny frowned at seeing him look deadly serious. "It might take me a few hours, but I can at least throw up a few roadblocks for them.

"Dude, I'm  _so_ glad we had to share a mat at nap time." There was a choked snort from Andrew, Danny frowning over at him. "Hey, it's not my fault Tucker spilled his juice on mine."

"Don't get them started," Sam sighed. "Otherwise they'll tell the Saga of the Swings." Grinning, Danny shook his head and oh, yeah, he had  _really_ lucked out when it came to the people in his life. He supposed that made everything else worth it.

"I'll resist the urge to comment further. There is one thing that's been bothering me, however." And Andrew being bothered never worked out well for them. "How have they been hiding from-"

"Blood blossoms," Randy hissed, saying the name like it was a curse. Danny was right there with him. He remembered how dangerous they felt. It felt like he had been trapped in the portal all over again. "They aren't just toxic to a ghost or form a barrier to keep them out. The reason they're so deadly is that they drain and suppress all ghostly energy." Drain and… Suppress. "Walker and Section 13 have to be using them to cloak themselves and the building."

"Fuck." Welp. When Andrew started swearing then they were indeed well and truly fucked. "There's no way for us to get into that building if they're using blood blossoms."

"And that's what you have us for." Sam scooted off the bed, standing up and dusting her hands together. "I need to get home for Mom's stupid dinner thing, but keep me up to date and let me know whenever we're going to launch our attack."

"We probably won't be that dramatic," Danny moved to hug her as she reached the door. "We have Mom, Dad, and Jazz, too." There were other ghost hunters that weren't- "Hey- Hey! What about Valerie? If we told her just what she needs to know-"

"No can do," Tucker interrupted, shaking his head. "Valerie's been pretty much awol since the second semester started. No one sees her besides in class. I think she quit her job at the Nasty Burger, too."

"Seriously?" That was weird. He knew her dad had gotten his old job back as security at Axion, but he thought she kept the job after that to keep some extra money coming in. "That doesn't sound right. Andy, does she have any of your classes?"

"I know she was in an English class near the beginning of the year." Andrew shuffled the papers together, looking to be thinking. "She doesn't have French or Creative Writing, as far as I know."

"She's been skipping out on lunches, too," Sam added, finally squirming out of Danny's hug. "Like Tuck said, she's gone awol."

"Vlad stopped seeing her, too. She stopped coming to him not long after Elle was all healed up." It didn't make sense. Why would Valerie just stop…

_"Get out of this before you get hurt. You know it, don't you? The way you're going, you'll get caught in the crossfire that's about to happen and there will be no one to help to you once that happens."_

"I…" That conversation they had when Spectra had still been screwing with him. Everything had been so scrambled then, but now that he was clear headed it was a different story. "I think she might have found out who me and Vlad are."

Ignoring the other's reactions, Danny thought back and it made sense, really. Not only that, but Valerie had been trying to protect him in her own way. Get out of this, she said. Out of what? Just what crossfire had she been talking about?

Fingers on his chin were tilting his head up, Danny blinking at Randy's steady look. "Things are building up, again," Danny explained quietly. It was the same feeling before he stepped into the portal. The same feeling from when Pariah Dark had shaken the world and the answers to the CAT had been in his hand.

Things were about to get bad again.

::

"There's gotta be another way." Danny was frantic, tearing through the information in front of him and trying to piece it all together into something that made sense. "There just has to be- This can't be all there is to it!"

"No one said state testing made sense." Andrew's tone was as bitter as his coffee and Danny groaned as he collapsed backward into a pile of papers. The three were in Vidya's gardens but Danny couldn't even enjoy it because he was trying to finish all his built up homework and also studying for the state testing that was coming up that made  _no sense_.

"It doesn't seem that bad," Randy said, flicking through some papers. Danny had the urge to throw a rock at his head.

"We can't all have an eidetic memory." Eidetic- Oh, photographic. Wait.

"You have a photographic memory?" At Randy's nod, Danny frowned further. "That's so unfair." No wonder Randy was so dangerous. "It's still not fair that we have testing. They want us to conform!"

"Careful, mon cher, you're sounding dangerously close to quoting Samantha." Sticking his tongue out at Andrew, Danny huffed as the man rolled his eyes. "Be grateful that you don't have to worry about it from a teacher's perspective."

"You only have to worry about yourself failing," Randy laughed. "Andy here has to be concerned about his entire class."

"They're all idiots. I'm merely going to try and get them to pass with a C." Mm. "Da- Danny. I don't like that look."

"Mm." They were all fucked. "It's not fair that we have to worry about Section 13  _and_ testing. Where's the fairness in that? Superman never had to deal with tests!"

"Superman didn't go to high school when he started his heroics," Randy shot back, helping Danny sit up out of his pile of papers. "Right now we can't focus on Section 13. There's nothing we can do until we get more information."

"That doesn't mean I can't be bitter about it." With that, Danny was falling back again and sending up another cloud of papers. "Look how many trees died for this. They didn't deserve it."

"I'll be sure to send them some apology letters." Not fighting as Randy linked their hands and pulled him up again, Danny sighed when he was sitting. "We'll be okay, Danny."

"Doesn't feel like it." Blinking at the kiss, Danny laughed between breaths before leaning back in for a moment longer. "You know what? You're right."

"He is? How much did I miss, then?" Ignoring Andrew, Danny gathered his worksheets with a firm nod.

"I can't just be sitting around here and moping when I've got work to do. So, yeah, these tests probably won't decide my life for me, but it's still something I can focus on!" Getting them all into a rough stack, Danny nodded to himself and yeah- Yeah! He could do this! "I'll pass these tests if it's the last thing I do or my name isn't Danny Riter!"

At first, Danny didn't realize anything was wrong. At first. It quickly changed because Randy started making a funny wheezing sound and Andrew was blushing bright enough to act as a night light if he wanted.

It was then Danny realized in perfect clarity just what it was he had said and idly wondered if he could convince Clockwork to make him disappear from both worlds for the rest of eternity. For now, he settled for quickly gathering his papers and running away as quick as he could.

Running away, of course, meant hiding under the covers in one of the guest rooms and wondering what cruel god had taken an interest in him. He didn't get to wonder too long as someone was pulling the covers back just enough to comb a hand through his hair and that was way too quick for his liking and Vidya was a  _traitor_. "Kill me."

"Mm, no." Ugh, Andrew. Now there would be embarrassing talks and- "I'll forget for now if you do."

"Oh my god, I love you." Really, he loved Randy, too, but Randy was a dick and would hold this over him for years. "You know what would make me love you more?"

"Yes, Danny, I'll help you study." Pushing himself up, Danny tackled Andrew down into a bruising kiss that probably hurt more than anything. He couldn't bring himself to be too upset when Andrew was laughing and hugging him closely. "I love you, too."

Mm… Danny Riter, huh? It didn't have too bad of a ring to it.

::

"It seems that you lot have been finding out the same things we've been." Vlad was flipping through the research Tucker had managed to find and print out before he was forcibly ejected from the entire system, although he had wrecked a lot of shit on his way out. "Blood blossoms."

"Which means you can't get in anymore than we can. Not unless you know some super secret awesome ghost way-"

"I don't, I'm afraid to say." There was no need to  _laugh_ at him. "At least we know that they aren't doing anything drastic quite yet."

"Yeah, visiting at school and trying to have Andy turn in Phantom isn't drastic at all." That had Vlad swatting him with the papers he was holding, Danny sticking his tongue out. "I'm not wrong!"

"Have you noticed how ghostly this town is becoming?" Startled, Danny looked over to where Randy was sitting at the table, coat and guns shed and fingers tapping an absent rhythm into the wood of the table.

"What do you mean by ghostly?" Maddie set a cup of tea down in front of him, Randy sparing her a smile.

"It's… It's the way the energy of this town is, I suppose." Randy took a sip, seeming to think his words over. "With most human towns there's always this buzz of the  _living_. It's something sharp and warm and almost overpowering. With Amity Park, though, I've noticed that it's not as… It feels like the Ghost Zone when I'm here, these days."

"I- Yeah, actually, I know what you mean." Danny flew over to sit on the edge of the table, Vlad giving him an odd look. Ah, probably because he was still in his 'human' form. "Even when I avoided the Ghost Zone I still felt super energized a lot of the time. Ghost are supposed to need ectoplasm or whatever, right?"

"Well, in a way." Vlad leaned against the counter, pushing his glasses up in a way that was so Andrew Danny had to slap a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. He still got a swat from Andrew, but  _worth it_. "Maddie, do we still have that research?"

"Yes, Jack's been hoarding it." Looking between the three with a frown, Danny shared a look with an equally confused Randy and Andrew.

"Got it right here." Jack waved a sheath of papers, grin wide. "It's actually really interesting and I haven't had this much fun on a research project since college. Basically, Amity Park was filled with ghostly energy even  _before_ we opened that baby down in the basement."

"It was?" Andrew frowned, looking to Randy. "Was Amity Park a natural spot for portals forming?"

"I… The thing is, it actually was. It's been a steady spot for forming portals since I've been a ghost and a decade ago it got even crazier." Oh, jeez, Danny forgot how old these two were sometimes. Don't think about it, Fenton, don't think about it.

"It seems as if the whole town is on some sort of gateway between the worlds." That… That would make sense. Even when the ghosts got out of the Ghost Zone they always stuck around Amity Park and the truce Danny had made with them encouraged that. Andrew was now teaching at the  _school_. So much had changed in just the few short years since the portal had opened. "The border between the worlds is thin, here."

"The veil thinning, then," Andrew snorted to himself, startled as Maddie pointed at him and had her 'scientist' look on.

"Actually, Andrew, the 'veil' was a rather late concept that originated in Victorian times."

"No- I know- I was making a joke-"

"The worlds of magical and reality have always been intertwined and while I don't believe in magic, we have proof of the worlds bleeding with what we're seeing here in Amity Park!"

As Jack and Vlad chimed in with educating Andrew, Danny could see the man was looking torn between being horrified and reaching for a notebook to start taking some notes down. Smile falling, Danny looked back to the papers they had brought on Section 13.

The worlds  _were_ bleeding and ghosts were happy here more than ever before, but with Section 13 running about with Vlad's stolen technology… It was starting to feel like the ghosts were running out of places to go.


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter Sixty One**

::

"Prom?" Andrew paused from where he was writing on the board for his next class, looking back to where Danny was scarfing down everything in sight. He had already finished his lunch and was halfway into picking through Andrew's and oh, hm. Metabolism problems? He would talk to Vlad and Randy, later. "Is that what all the fuss is about around here?"

"Hey, prom is a huge deal!" Danny frowned, halfway through decimating some fried cinnamon apple slices - Randy's attempts to get Danny to eat healthy. It seemed to be working so far, although Andrew wasn't sure how 'healthy' that really was. "Plus, this year they're opening it to seniors  _and_ juniors."

"That just seems like an attempt to make more students show up." Finishing the instructions with a flourish, Andrew moved back to his seat, startling when an apple slice was held in front of him. Sighing, he let Danny near shove it into his mouth.

"Maybe, but it's  _prom_ , you know? Sam's already planning out which gothic terror dress she's gonna wear and Tuck's been on a crusade to ask every girl in the school. He's getting a lot of offers from the younger years just so they have an excuse to go."

"I won't be surprised if he shows up with a fourteen-year-old dragging him around, then." Andrew could see that rather well, honestly. Tucker was much too soft, and even for his supposed 'skills' with the opposite gender he was quick to help the younger years out of trouble. "Why do people underestimate him, again?"

"They've never seen him hack into government databases and absolutely shred them," Danny smirked, finishing off the last apple slice before flitting over to sit in Andrew's lap. At this point, Andrew was far too used to working around a clingy half ghost. "Plus, you should see him with his cousins. He absolutely  _dotes_ on them."

"Cute," Andrew hummed, resting his chin on Danny's head as he pulled out a stack of papers to look over one last time. It wouldn't do to miss a mistake and have a student mercilessly mock him over such a thing. "Prom, then?"

"It's going to be so fun! I think the committee, meaning Paulina, chose some dorky cliche night sky theme. Stars and junk." Ah, that explained why Danny looked so excited.

"You know, if you wished, you could talk to Randy about designing your suit. I'm sure he'd love to make one that has various constellations in it." There was a soft gasp, Andrew working hard to not laugh. "He loves finding different ways to make suits  _interesting_."

"I'm in love." Touseling Danny's hair, Andrew's smile softened at the bright grin he was given in return. "They've been working on it for a few weeks now, but it's this Saturday."

"That soon?" Rather late to start announcing it, but considering this was Amity and most people were concerned with ghost attacks more than anything, it did make sense. "Saturday is the last day of April, isn't it?"

"Yeah, we're gonna be in May, soon," Danny said quietly, Andrew frowning as he tucked the teen closer. "I told you about the Citadel thing, right? My perception of time?"

"Yes, you did, and loathe as I am to admit it, it  _does_ make sense. The perception of time is typically born through human culture. Many ghosts don't even hold to hours or minutes. Rather it's… Oh, what did Randy call it." It was the Ghost Zone version of a day, but the word escaped him. "Ah! A shift."

"A shift?" Oh, dear, it looked like it was tutoring time. Andrew would be lying if he said he didn't love it. "Like a work shift?"

"Not quite. A shift is the Ghost Zone's version of a full day and night cycle. I know you can't quite tell, sometimes, but the energy changes between day and night in the Ghost Zone. Not by much, but you recognize it if you live there. A shift is roughly 34 to 36 hours?"

"Really?" Danny startled, looking up to Andrew and staring before kissing his cheek, Andrew raising his eyebrows. "Sorry, felt like I needed to show you affection. Ghost Zone days are longer?"

"Typically," Andrew finally laughed, giving Danny a proper kiss and quickly flicking his tongue at the younger's lower lip. He could still taste the cinnamon. "Mm, the area we live in is slightly different being so close to an active portal like your parent's. The shifts are more synced up to days. Maybe talk to your parents about that?"

"Mm, right, yeah, totally." Danny licked his lips, Andrew drawn in by the motion and pulling the teen into another kiss. "I have class, you know."

"You're late for History all the time," Andrew muttered back, licking his way into Danny's mouth and delighting in the sharp shudder it earned him. "Grover's a prick, anyhow."

"Shut up and keep kissing me." With pleasure.

::

"Yoo-hoo, Andrew!" Damn. It had been so long Andrew thought he had gotten lucky and she had given up.

"Good evening, Doloris. May I help you with anything or would you like to continue your assault on the English language?" The woman snorted a loud laugh as she slapped Andrew's arm, Andrew resisting the urge to do anything violent. Really, though. 'Yoo-hoo.' ' _Fiddle faddle_.'

"You're just the teacher I wanted to see!" Great. Here comes the request for another committee- "I was so  _happy_ to hear that we'll be chaperoning the prom together!"

"We what." No- No? Andrew hadn't signed up to chaperone and besides, he was taking  _Danny_ to prom and as great as his powers were, he really could not do long-term clones effectively. "There must be a mistake, Doloris, I didn't sign up-"

"Oh, of course not, dear. I signed you up myself!" This woman was possessed by Spectra's ghost. She had to be. "I just thought, since you're permanent now, you really don't spend much time socially with the other teachers. This will be a great way to crack the ice!"

"You shouldn't have. Really." Could he convince people that Petricoff was a ghostly threat to the students? He probably could. If not, then he would make sure that no one would miss her once she was  _destroyed_. "I'm sorry, but I have plans-"

"Then cancel them!" The  _nerve_ \- "It's really sad, but it's only you and I who signed up! If there's not at least two teachers to chaperone then the prom will be cancelled for the students." Just as Andrew was ready to snap that the students could go screw themselves, he thought of Danny's beaming smile at the idea of being able to go.

"Fine." They would still be able to see each other  _at_ prom, after all, and Andrew could probably sneak away for a few minutes every so often. "Saturday at six, right?"

"Perfect!" The shriek near broke his ears, Andrew glaring as the woman toddled away. Oh, one day he would like to make sure that woman never opened her eyes, again.

::

"Hey, Mr. Riter." Pausing at the hesitant tone, Andrew looked to where Danny was standing beside him, Creative Writing soon to start. "I heard you're chaperoning the prom."

"Unfortunately," Andrew sighed, turning back to the board. "Your science teacher is…" Don't speak ill of co-workers, Andrew, not again. "If there aren't two chaperones than the prom would have been cancelled. Something I found out  _after_ she signed me up."

"Oh." That… That didn't sound very good. Looking back, Andrew frowned at seeing Danny looked just fine. "That's good. A lot of people are looking forward to it, after all."

"Yes, I know." Just think of Danny's smiling face and he might get through this. "Did you talk to Randy about the suit?"

"Eh, I think I might not go after all." Wha… What? "I mean, prom's more of a senior thing, right? I have next year to enjoy it. 'Sides, I think Jazz might be visiting from college this Saturday. Way more important than some dance, right?"

"I… I suppose." Wasn't Danny excited for prom? He had near outshone the sun when first talking about it! "Are you certain? The theme might not be the same, next year."

"Win some, lose some," Danny shrugged, heading back to his seat. "Enjoy chaperoning the prom, Mr. Riter." Oh, Andrew had definitely done something wrong, but he wasn't quite sure…

Oh, he was an idiot.

::

"You can't just disguise yourself once you're there and pretend you ran off?" Groaning at the latest suggestion, Andrew shook his head.

"That woman would cancel the whole thing and pull the fire alarm out of pure spite, I'm certain." Perking up at the bowl of fried banana crisps in front of him, Andrew quickly shoved a few in his mouth. "You know you're not supposed to fry fruit, yes?"

"And chocolate was meant to be reserved for royalty," Randy shrugged, kissing at Andrew's temple. It made it very hard to be worried, more so when they were in the kitchen at Liz and Randy was walking around barefoot with a silly pink apron on. "Have you tried talking to Danny about it?"

"You know how he is," Andrew sighed, rubbing at his eyes and near shoving his glasses off his face. "He'd rather see himself suffer than hurt anyone else through his actions."

"That sounds rather familiar." Lips over his made him unable to argue, Andrew near purring at the sweet treat that dissolved onto his tongue as Randy pulled back. "Chocolate-caramel melts. Thoughts?"

"You should start baking more often and feed me some more," Andrew hummed, delighted when he was indulged. "And to think you used to burn everything you baked."

"Cooking and baking are two very different sciences," Randy defended, licking at some chocolate at the corner of Andrew's lips. "So? What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Andrew sighed, defeat making him slump once more. "Even with you there Danny's still not going to be as happy since I won't be there."

"'Even with,'" Randy snorted. Andrew silently admitted that his phrasing could have used some work. He stared sadly up at Randy until the other cracked. "I'll try and think of something. I'll at least get him there so he can try to enjoy himself."

"Thank you." Andrew half wondered if they should talk about this a little more, but he was quickly distracted by more sweet kisses and, really. He couldn't be blamed for getting a  _tiny_ bit distracted. They'd have to invite Danny to their next baking session.

::

"I know it's not my best work since it's last minute, but you could at least pretend to smile," Randy mumbled around a mouthful of pins, trying not to laugh at Danny's flush as he straightened and pinned the fabric. "Still upset about Andy?"

"Upset? Why would I be upset?" Randy stabbed him with a pin for that one, the yelp sounding hurt and betrayed. It was nowhere near as bad as Danny's swirling emotions, though. "Alright, so I'm a little upset. I just- I really wanted to spend my prom with both of you. All of us together."

"He'll still be there," Randy said softly, fiddling with one of the seams and taking the last few pins out of his mouth, smiling when Danny's hand ruffled his curls. "I know it won't be the same."

"I should try to act happier, huh? How much has he been doing his worry think towards you?" Mm, a few decades sounded about right. "About the prom, smartass."

"We don't call our significant others smartasses," Randy chastised, turning Danny around to fix the intake. He still wasn't happy with it. "We call them dumbasses. You know, like the both of you are being. Ever heard of communication?"

"I don't want him to feel bad over me feeling bad!" Mm, too late for that. "Raaandy!"

"Daaanny," Randy mimicked, sticking another pin in his mouth. "Hold still, this fabric is pissing me off."

"Then why'd you use it?"

"Breaths well, molds to your form beautifully, and the pattern is out of this world." It took a moment before Danny shifted enough to slap at the top of his head, Randy choking around a laugh.

"Unfair! I'm the only one who can make dorky star puns!" It really was a nice fabric, though. It looked black in bright sunlight, but inside buildings and darkened areas it shone like it contained the night sky itself. Randy had bought up every scrap he could find. "Are you done, yet-"

"Keep asking and I'll make this into a dress, instead." Seeing Danny open his mouth, Randy spun him back around. "A dress for Elle."

"Rude," Danny huffed, Randy tilting his head up and working on the collar. "Randy-"

"I know you're worried, but everything will work out okay." Giving the collar one last tweak, Randy carefully began to help Danny slide and phase out of the clothing, trying to focus to keep all the pins in place. "Have a little faith."

"Faith is the Priest's thing," Danny mumbled, a wave of bitterness lapping at the edges of Randy's awareness. "I was raised by scientists, remember?"

"Right, remind me to change your coffee blend." Snagging a kiss as Danny pouted, Randy hummed quietly, appreciating silently that Danny was in nothing but a pair of boxers. "I'll take care of it."

"Uh huh. You look like you wanna take care of something else, too." Pft. That'd carry a lot more weight if Danny wasn't squirming closer to his touch and arching up for another kiss.

"You know, there's this old phrase I'm recalling about pots and kettles." At the whine, Randy quickly distracted Danny with more kisses, sighing softly between them. How was he going to- Oh. That could work.

::

Randy contently watched from where he was leaning against a wall, human disguise around him as Lancer, Petricoff, and Andrew all chatted to one another. Randy could easily feel Andrew's surprise that quickly morphed into delight, and, really, the trouble he went through was worth it for that alone.

Getting into contact with Lancer hadn't been too bad, but the price to work out had taken a few hours. That man was ruthless as any assassin when it came to his students. Still, Andrew and Danny got to enjoy prom and Lancer now had a permanent substitute for English. All in all, things had worked out great.

They needed this, besides. With Section 13 growing into a bigger threat and Danny recovering from what Spectra had done to him, there needed to be times where they could just relax and indulge in Danny being nothing more or less than a high school teenager. Plus, it was cute to watch their excited smiles as they hid on the edges of the room, Andrew still ghostly and Danny dressed sharp and slick.

Heh, Andrew hadn't even seen the finished design. Randy had made sure he hadn't so Danny could see what he was seeing now. Andrew stared at him, utterly  _smitten_ , before he was cupping Danny's cheeks and pressing kisses to every spot he could, Danny quick to giggle and laugh. The bursts of laughter and delight felt like sunlight against his skin, Randy settling even more.

Hopefully no students had seen that, but even if they had Randy doubt anything would come of it. The entire school had to know by now that Andrew and Danny were  _at least_ sleeping together.

All in all it had been the perfect job and oh, hello, Randy just felt a spike of  _something_. He couldn't think too much on it as Danny was suddenly in front of him, dragging him towards the dance floor. "I really need to stop doubting you."

"I don't know, a little doubt never hurt anyone." Randy let himself be pulled along, following Andrew's energy to see him entering the gym again, this time as a human teenager. "Why am I being dragged?"

"Because it's not prom without some dancing." With that, Danny tugged Randy into position, looking a little awkward. "I'm not very good at dancing, yet, but Andrew is even worse."

"I'll teach you enough to help him along," Randy winked, spinning Danny around at once and laughing at the burst of delight. "Good prom, then?"

"Well, almost." Danny smirked, leaning up to kiss at the edge of Randy's jaw, Randy knowing he gave a shudder. "You know what teens do after their proms, right?" Oh, fuck yes.

"Mm, I've been out of touch with those things for a while." Randy leaned closer, bumping his forehead with Danny's. "You might have to teach me the basics."

"'S okay," Danny smirked. "I've heard even old dogs can learn new tricks." Cheeky little thing, wasn't he? Randy would be lying if he said he didn't love it. "Thanks, Randy."

"Convincing Lancer wasn't that hard." Randy knew the other was talking about more than just the night, but Randy decided that emotional talks could wait until later. This was a night for fun, bad decisions, and being so  _human_. "I'm going to spin you again. Ready?"

Section 13 loomed closer, but damn if Randy wasn't going to fight to make sure these two would be safe. If that meant doing through ridiculous measures to let them have a prom night full of dancing? Well, Randy had done stupider for these two.

"Ready!" Things would be okay, in the end. Of that, Randy was certain, but for now they had this night of dancing, laughter, and being together. It was all he could wish for.


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter Sixty Two**

::

There was a lot that Danny was afraid of. Well, no, maybe that wasn't quite accurate. There was a lot that Danny was afraid to lose, but there wasn't much that he was afraid  _of_ \- No, that didn't make sense either. Okay, Danny got scared a lot, but he really was never that scared- Jeez, okay, no, Danny was never as scared as when he was sitting in a chair in the principal's office and being stared at by at least four teachers.  _During_ school hours.

"I, uh… Can I ask for a lawyer?" Danny was kind of embarrassed that his voice wasn't much more than a squeak, but Lancer gave him a pitying smile, at least, so it couldn't be all that bad, right? Wait, no, this was his life, it was going to be horrible.

"You don't need a lawyer, Danny," Ishiyama sighed, sitting on the edge of her desk and crossing her arms. "Now, Danny. You know we here at Casper High like to make this a safe environment for you and the other students. That means you can tell us anything that you're struggling with.  _Anything_."

"Your secrets are safe with us, Danny," Petricoff smiled, Danny not very reassured by that because he was still kinda pissed about the prom mess- Secrets. Oh, no. "We know that your situation is… Is  _unique_ , but we like to think that we here at Casper High are equipped to help you."

"That's not what we should be focusing on." Ah, Grover's anger. Okay, that was a lot better than the other two and those fake smiles. "Danny, have you even told your parents about what's been going on?"

"I- I, uh, well- You see…" Did- Did he admit it, then? All of it? They already knew, it seemed, so there probably wasn't any harm in coming completely clean- Wait. If they knew then why wasn't Andrew in here? Shouldn't Andrew be here? It felt like Andrew should be here. Danny would kind of like to cling to him while they were spilling his life secrets like it was nothing. "That's a very good question, sir."

"Oh, in the name of Charles Dickens, people, he's not sleeping with one of the teachers." Lancer's declaration was met with awkward silence and Danny felt as torn as he did when first stepping through the portal.

On the one hand, none of them knew his secret besides Lancer, and Lancer was very good at keeping his students' secrets when he needed to. On the other hand, though… They seemed to suspect, rightly so, that he was sleeping with Andrew. Considering he wouldn't be eighteen until next year, well, aha, this could- This could get very complicated very fast.

"It might not have progressed that far, but it  _is_ a relationship," Petricoff, the germanic demon, frowned and oh- Oh, god. Danny figured it out. He finally- She reminded him of  _Umbridge_ from the Harry Potter books. Jesus. No wonder he hated her science class. "I saw them at the prom Saturday, Kim. They were kissing-"

"Wha- We weren't kissing!" Danny flushed as he frantically combed through his memories and-  _Fuck_. Andrew had been stupidly sweet and kissed his cheeks and forehead when he had been relieved of 'duty' and allowed to spend the prom with him. That would have been fine if he hadn't still looked like his normal self, but Danny had been too fucking happy to notice and  _fuck_. "Look, Mrs. Petricoff, I have a boyfriend-"

"A boyfriend that we've never seen or heard anything about, doesn't attend this school, and who no one knows the name of? Not to mention your behavior around Mr. Riter, Danny." Okay, maybe some of the games had gone a bit far, but it had been  _fun_.

"Doloris, please, I've met Danny's boyfriend." Oh- Oh, right, Lancer had, back in sophmore year before they were really dating. "He's Danny's tutor, as well, and helped him a great deal when he was struggling in his classes last year. He's actually quite the nice young man. He attends Saint John's, doesn't he?"

"Yes- Yes, sir." Oh, god. Lancer had chosen the school on the other end of town which was brilliant -  _beautiful_  - but he had chosen the  _religious school_. Danny adored this moment more than anything else in the world. "He lives there with his brother and their mother on the other end of town. Mrs. Riter, their mom, she works in the school teaching the preschoolers." Jesus, Danny almost believed that lie himself. Go him.

"We have proof." What? Grover slapped down a group of papers onto the desk, Danny jumping at the noise and staring and this was proof? "Student testimonies."

"You know the students think the food is made from dead bodies pulled from the graveyards, don't you? Like, a quarter of them honestly  _believe_ that." Hearing Lancer's suppressed snort, Danny gave a grin. "And, uh, I'm not that well liked? Half of those are probably lies-"

"You have frequently been seen skipping lunch and leaving Riter's classroom after, which just so happens to be right before my class with you. A class you're always late for." No more 'Mr,' huh? So much for teacher solidarity.

"Many students have also noticed that Andrew will have you stay behind after class," Petricoff sighed, aiming for concerned adult and hitting overstepping boundaries  _by a major degree_. "Once he gave you an hour long detention for being a few minutes late to class. Even if there's nothing sexual between you two, that's still an abuse of power-"

"You've given me an hour for breaking those beakers in class back in Freshman year," Danny pointed out, thinking for a moment. "Ma'am."

"There's more." Of course there was. "Students have admitted to noticing you're more nervous and…" Reading over a few papers, Grover pulled a face. "Apparently exhibiting ghostly behavior traits." Wait, what? Ghostly- Okay, Danny would come back to that one later.

"Look, I'm not in some- Some  _sexual relationship_  with Mr. Riter. I mean, yeah, I get kind of stupid around him, but I swear to god I know that it's just teenage hormones and totally illegal and it's honestly probably mostly from the fact he actually cares how I'm doing outside of school like he does with  _all his students_." Jesus, they were waiting to cut him off and chew up his story.

"This is true for all his classes," Lancer, the angel, chimed in. "He cares deeply about all his students. Honestly, to accuse him of this without proof is just…"

"Danny." Ishiyama, quiet throughout the whole event, stared straight into his eyes and Danny knew true fear. "Can you honestly tell me that you are safe and Mr. Riter is not forcing you into anything."

"Yes- A hundred percent total and definite yes, ma'am. I feel perfectly safe in his classes and he's not forcing me into anything- Except maybe do my homework, but I've seen that's a shared trait by everyone here." The lack of laughter had him sitting back in his seat with a nervous smile. "Tough crowd?"

"I'll walk you to your next class, Danny," Lancer sighed, setting a hand on Danny's shoulder and guiding him to the door the second he stood up. "Remember, though, that we're all here for you and are willing to listen to any problems you have." Danny almost believed the good teacher act until they were a few feet past the door and Lancer was slapping the back of his head.

"Ow!" Clutching at the spot which startled him more than hurt him, Danny turned a betrayed look to Lancer. The man had been  _on his side_. "Why?"

"For the endless amount of trouble you attract into your life," Lancer huffed, looking as exhausted as Danny felt. "You both need to be more careful."

"We're-" Glare. He was glaring. "We're trying?" They  _had_ been trying to be careful to make sure nothing was public, but then the prom… "I just- I was so happy to be able to spend the night with him, sir, and-"

Lancer held up his hand, Danny snapping his mouth shut at once. "There's no need to explain, Mr. Fenton, but do attempt better precautions in the future, especially when it comes to locking doors." Here he was given a look so judgemental, Danny wondered what the man had seen of them. He wasn't blushing, so probably just a kiss or heavy making out.

"I promise we'll be at our absolute best and try to keep the PDA to outside the school." Chewing on his bottom lip as they walked, Danny cleared his throat. "So, uh, am I in trouble, then?"

"I'm sure you've had enough detention this school year." Don't ask, don't wanna know, just keep walking. "Daniel." Oh, no, full name. "If you really do need to talk to someone and can't get to a friend in time, you know where my classroom is."

"That… That's good to know, Mr. Lancer." Having another person in his corner could never be a  _bad_ thing, at least. "So about that grade on the last pop quiz…"

::

Ghostly behavioral traits. What students had told the teachers the he was exhibiting ghostly behavior? Not just that, but those student testimonies had proven to be a lot more accurate than he was expecting. Just how many people were paying attention to him?

Jeez, okay, still lunch, he'd hide in the library and hope Andrew was there. He needed to talk to him about this, because they really did need to be more careful. At least until next year when Danny turned eighteen, then everyone could go screw themselves when it came to having a say in Danny's sex life.

Jesus, okay, calm down, Fenton, keep a calm head-  _Ghostly_ behavioral traits. Just what was that supposed to mean? Did that mean all of his clinging and possessiveness from the games, or did that mean… Had some of them seen something? Danny wasn't exactly hiding his powers as much as he should have been, but it was getting hard to when so many people in his life knew his secret now and had  _accepted_ it.

Would it really be so bad if others found out, now? Before, back when he first got these powers, it felt like if he ever told anyone then it would be his  _real_ death. Now… Section 13 already knew who he was, all the ghosts did, his family, even Lancer. Spectra and her comments were now nothing but an old scar he could ignore. He belonged to  _both_  worlds, after all.

"-no, you have to conjugate the verb and then use it in place of an adjective." Pausing from behind a bookshelf, Danny frowned and what the hell kind of language were these kids learning.

"Name is my Star?" Okay, Danny knew Star could speak English- Oh, that might be how it was arranged in the language they were learning. He knew Japaneses did that weird switch around thing.

"No, no, no, see, it'd be like my name is Mikey." Mikey was studying  _with_ Star?

"Okay, is it I or a repeat of our names?"

"No, no, there's a word for I, see? I. I like reading."

"I hate you."

"When did you learn the word for hate?"

Okay, all the A-Listers were talking strangely and working together with the nerds. Danny had to find out what the hell was going on, now. He was also surprised so many people were here during lunch. "Hey, guys, what's up?"

"Oh, hey, Fenton." Dash… Dash wasn't starting a fight? "Feeling better? You looked like shit before break."

"Uh, yeah." Oh, that was right, Dash had come up to him and been all freaked out. It had freaked Danny and Tucker out- Wait, had he just called him Fenton? Not Fenturd?

"Hey, Danny, you spend a lot of time around Mr. Riter. What's the word for hello?" In… In French?

"Bonjour?" This was weird. "I mean, you can use that or salut, but salut is more friendly and informal and can be used to say goodbye, too."

"Not in French," Paulina sighed, as if he was being slow. "In ghost." In… In ghost? "So far we have  _my name is_ , but nothing else." Wait- Wait, the odd way they were talking, they had been… Oh.

"You- Where did you learn Ghostspeak?" They knew how to speak Ghostspeak, which meant they were understanding it. Why could they understand it? Only ghosts…

"We heard Mr. Riter talking it a lot and just picked up the simple stuff," Nathan beamed. "It wasn't all that hard, really."

"Yeah, simple stuff," Dash groaned, leaning back in his chair. "The rest of it is a bitch to learn, especially speaking it."

"Ri- Right." Speaking it. The students of Amity Park were speaking Ghostspeak. But that- That was impossible.

"Sounds a lot like Latin with the verbs," Mikey helpfully put in. "But then some stuff reminds me of Sanskrit, what little I know-" Mikey was cut off by a strange, high laugh- Oh. That was Danny.

"Uh, yeah, Ghostspeak is based off dead languages that have crossed over. It adapts to the current time, but the base is made up of old African languages, Latin, Sanskrit, and a few others. Look, guys, I gotta go, I'll see you around."

Danny left before he could answer any more questions, quickly heading towards Andrew's classroom because this… This suddenly felt far bigger than Danny's secret.


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter Sixty Three**

::

"They were actually  _speaking_ Ghostspeak?" Andrew frowned at Danny, sounding as if he didn't quite believe him, which, rude. Insulting! "Are you sure they weren't just making similar sounds-"

"No, I mean at first I couldn't even tell it was Ghostspeak because I'm so damn used to hearing it and it was  _exactly_ Ghostspeak. It'd be like you speaking French and Randy not noticing because it's your  _thing_  and this is  _our_ thing and they were  _speaking it_  and-"

"Danny, Danny, breathe, mon cher." Sucking in a breath, Danny forcibly calmed himself down, smiling at Andrew and moving to sit on his desk. "Alright, what did they say exactly? It could be they don't quite know what they're saying-"

"They were talking about how to conjugate verbs, Andy. You don't talk about shit like that unless you know what you're talking about." Humans. Humans had learned Ghostspeak. "Is this even possible?"

"I…" Andrew shook his head, rubbing at the bridge of his nose and looking exhausted. "Mon cher, I don't… This is Ghostspeak. It's a language that should only be spoken by those in possession of ghostly energy. That's how it's always been."

"Not anymore," Danny mumbled, feeling his ghostly side pushing against him. If he looked down he knew he would see crystals of ice gathering across his skin. He didn't even need to look to know his eyes were shifting to green, too. "It was only supposed to be ghosts, but then me and Vlad showed up."

"Yes, well, you two were overloaded with ghostly energy to the point it changed your very genetic makeup," Andrew huffed, gripping Danny's chin and narrowing his eyes. "Danny-"

"I know. It's… It isn't just the Ghostspeak thing, though. It's like  _everything_  is blending. Both worlds. Ghosts are spending more time in Amity than the Zone and look at me." Danny was pretty much the  _poster_ child for what happened when two worlds clashed. Now, instead of Fenton and Phantom being so separate, it was all bleeding together.

"There had to have been a trigger for this. These children have grown up in Amity Park their whole lives and weakened borders or not they've never shown signs like this before."

"Well, actually." Laughing at Andrew's groan, Danny couldn't help but laugh more when his own glasses were carefully pushed back up. Jeez, he was starting to forget he even wore glasses. Maybe he should switch to contacts? That didn't sound too bad, really. Would be easier when he was a ghost, too. Flying came with a whole new set of challenges, these days. Maybe that was why Andrew-

"Danny, focus." Ah, right. "You get lost in your head very easily, you know." Mm, Andrew was smiling, though. "What did you mean?"

"Spectra had this thing a few years ago where she was trying to get a new body. She had infected the students with some kind of ghost bug that gave them ghost powers. Do you think that affected them?"

"Ghost bug?" Andrew let go of Danny's chin, finally, rubbing at the back of his neck and… Huh. Had he picked that up from Danny? "As in they were infected with some type of sickness?"

"No- No, I mean there was literally a ghostly bug of some kind overshadowing them." The look he was given was amazing. "Hey, I didn't decide for it to be bugs. But, here's the weird thing, the bugs weren't controlling them, just  _giving_ them the ghost powers."

"That shouldn't be possible. Humans reject ghostly energy, part of the reason only powerful ghosts can overshadow humans - and even then only for a short period of time. This is… This is something else, Danny."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Danny leaned back on his hands, staring up at the ceiling and lost in thought. "Do you think spending time in the human world has changed the ghosts? I mean, there's a lot less taking over the world shenanigans involved."

"None of them wanted to rule the world, Danny," Andrew laughed. "Well, maybe Technus, but I hear he's actually been busy doing guest lectures at the college."

"That's what I mean! They're acting so- They have  _lives_  now, you know?" They had friends and a little makeshift family and it was like they had more than just their obsessions, these days. "They're becoming more human-"

"No, they're not." Blinking at the tone that was almost  _bitter_ , Danny looked to where Andrew was steadfastly looking down at a sheet of paper. "You and Vlad are the only ones who can walk between both worlds and not have to choose."

"Walk between- What do you mean?" Oh, no, Danny did not like this feeling. It felt like they were about to have a  _talk_. An emotional,  _relationship_ talk.

"I mean that you're able to walk between life and death and think nothing of it. You can be a part of both worlds and-"

"You're not." The silence was answer enough, he supposed, but damn if Danny didn't have an answer of his own. He had always known Andrew had been the more human one of all the ghosts - he only had to read Andrew's writing to figure that one out, but… God, it made sense, didn't it?

Andrew was always the one to encourage them spending time in Amity. He had latched onto the school and spent every moment he could in this world when he wasn't at Vidya. And when he was in Vidya it was less of a library and more of a  _home_. Most ghost lairs didn't have kitchens and bathrooms and beds beyond the most basic of things.

"Andy…" Jeez, Andrew was just- Heh- Ha! He was so  _human_. "You already walk between the worlds." As Andrew's gaze snapped up to him, Danny shifted over to sit on the paper and instead lace his hands with Andrew's. "Do you have any idea how human you still are?"

"I'm rather afraid there's a few things wrong with what you just said, mon cher. I can't be human when I'm  _dead_ -"

"Shut up, I'm not done. Do you remember that day in the library near the start of the year?" Danny frowned as Andrew only stared. "It was right after the first Spectra mess and I said your problem was that you weren't human enough and my problem was that I was  _too_ human. I was wrong."

"Considering all that's happened, I think that was more on the nose than even you intended. Danny, I don't know what you hope to accomplish here, but-

"No, no, don't you see? I was wrong because it's the opposite.  _I'm_ the one that's not human enough. Andy, look at me." He could feel it even now. That energy tugging and pulling at him and the way Andrew's gaze flicked to his hair Danny knew it was threading itself with white. "Andy, you're the one that's too human."

"Danny, I told you-" Jerking at Andrew's hand, Danny shoved it against the man's chest, giving him a hard stare. "What are you doing?"

"Heartbeat." Andrew tried to jerk his hand away, Danny not letting him. "See?" Danny said, giving a weak smile. "Still beating, just a little different." Looking around the desk, Danny grabbed the sharpest looking thing he could, poking at Andrew's finger and trying not to laugh at the yelp.

"Danny! What on earth are you doing!" Tugging at the hand, Danny flipped it over, squeezing at the finger to show the droplets of ectoplasm welling up at the source.

"See? Still bleeding, too." This time, Andrew's expression shifted to something so  _vulnerable_. "You're not like Randy. He's… Randy's always belonged there, but you've always belonged here, with everyone, living and laughing and always messing up." Danny widened his grin, giving a wink. "You're as human as your students, Mr. Riter."

"Oh, mon cher." Letting himself be pulled into Andrew's lap, Danny held onto him just as tightly, kissing at his cheek and rubbing at that ridiculous stubble he still hadn't shaved. He was so very human.

"That's why we work so well together, I think, the three of us. Randy's already accepted how ghostly he is, he did that a while ago." A reason that Randy was so quick to use his powers. He knew who he was.

"I know." Andrew knew it, too. "The ghost, the human, and the one in between, then?" Yeah… Yeah, that was it.

"Guess I'm sort of like the bridge," Danny laughed, the words feeling  _right_ on his tongue. "Feeling better?"

"Embarrassed I seemed to have made a big fuss out of nothing," Andrew admitted, kissing at Danny's jaw. "Much better now, however."

"Mm, I'm glad." Tugging at the hand he had stabbed - lightly stabbed, but still - Danny brought it up to his hand and licked at the smeared ectoplasm.

"Jesus." Ah, twenty-two-year-old Andrew Riter was a joy. "You're not good for my heart, mon cher."

"I take pride in it." Smile slowly falling, Danny sighed, shoulders falling. "We're going to need to see if this is just the school or the entire town that's starting to pick up Ghostspeak. If we're lucky it'll only be because the students are still growing while the Fenton Portal is active."

"If we find evidence to the contrary?" Well, that…

"That's when it starts to get complicated."

::

"You know, this isn't exactly new," Danny said, startling Andrew and making Randy tilt his head towards him. "The ghost thing? That's why the Guys-in-White originally came here, cause of all the ambient ghost energy."

Clockwork had been right that by May his sense of time would settle and it was making it easier for Danny to shift through his memories of what had happened since the school year started. While some of it he could just barely recall, he was starting to realize just how much danger Section 13 could put them in. He was remembering how dangerous  _Walker_ had been.

"Amity's always been like that," Randy sighed, pushing the button for the crosswalk as he leaned against the pole. "Like I said, most human cities have this feeling to them. Amity feels more like the Zone."

"Do you think we would startle a few drivers if we merely phased  _through_ the traffic," Andrew mused, staring at the rushing cars. "It'd teach them to be more aware of their surroundings."

"No teaching when we're not at school," Danny scolded, trying hard not to laugh. "It's just weird. Humans shouldn't know how to speak Ghostspeak, right?"

"Technically speaking, they shouldn't be able to even form the words," Randy said, shaking his head as Andrew started walking/phasing across the road. Taking Danny's hand, Randy triggered his own intangibility as they walked. "It has to do with ghost energy."

"So the energy is changing them? That's why they can speak it?" That… That didn't sound very good, actually. That sounded very, very bad.

"Not changing, really. It's more like adding something that wasn't there before." Randy shook his head, swinging their hands together and getting Danny to let out a startled laugh. "Hearing anything, Andy?"

"There's an early bird special at all the local diners this week to honor the elderly." Andrew sounded as baffled as Danny felt. "Nothing terribly exciting, overall."

"Okay, so adults aren't going around speaking Ghostspeak, but they're- It's not just me, right?" Danny didn't walk around town as much anymore, but the way he saw people interact was more- More  _ghostly_ , almost. They were closer and Danny had seen more than one wrestling match in the park between even grown adults. It was like when ghosts tested each other's strength to teach them and make sure they were okay.

"It's not just you," Randy agreed, eyes closed and frown appearing on his face. "There's so much ghostly energy in this town."

"The children seem to be the most extreme when it comes to acting ghostly," Andrew pointed out, nodding to where Youngblood was playing with a group of children in the park. They were all running and screaming and jumping and acting as kids usually did, but the way they moved showed them as more of a group than just kids playing together.

Danny near jerked to a stop, absolutely sure beyond all measure that he had just seen one kid with  _glowing_ eyes. Was the Fenton portal really affecting everyone this much? It couldn't be. It was in the basement surrounded by walls that were meant to keep radiation contained! But… But Danny could feel it now that he knew what he was looking for.

"It feels like I'm still a substitute." Both his mates startled and looked back at him, Danny seeing the rising defense before he laughed and shook his head. "No, no, not like that. Trust me, not at all like that." It was hard to doubt their relationship after everything that had happened. "No, I mean, like… Like  _half_  ghosts are a substitute for something."

"A substitute for what, mon cher?" God, that was the question, now wasn't it? No matter where he went there was always something ghostly about where he was and it just seemed to be growing more and more as time went on.

"I… I don't know." Danny could walk between the worlds even more than Vlad and Elle would ever be able to. That had to mean something. He could walk between worlds without fear of either of them, so maybe he was a substitute for that? For some kind of bridge between death and life?

Jeez… Just what had he done when he pressed that button? He had done more than giving himself these powers. He… He had changed his entire town.

He just needed to figure out how.


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter Sixty Four**

::

"I'm not sure if this is our best idea," Andrew said quietly, Randy trying not to show his own unease as he listened to Sam and Tucker argue over the ear piece they both had in. "If things go wrong then it'll take more than just a fight with Walker to get us out of there."

"Our last fight with him didn't end all that well, either." Oh, they had beaten Walker in battle, but they hadn't  _won_. The moment they had slipped into White Fang and the Priest had been the moment they had lost that fight. "We can't slip anymore, Andy."

"No…" Andrew gave a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "It's time for the Priest and White Fang to finally rest in peace."

"They did their duty. Now we do ours." Randy touched the ear piece and heard the spark of static that let him know he was connected. "How are we looking?"

" _All good from control_." Team Phantom were whip smart, Randy had found. If there were still people who believed they were nothing but kids in over their head then they were going to be in for a very rude awakening. " _Alpha Ghost is keeping the company distracted and engaged from headquarters._ "

" _Bobcat reporting in,_ " Sam's voice chimed in. " _Ready to break the circle of salt and proceed to the next step_."

"Is all this code really necessary?" Andrew looked uncomfortable as he shifted from foot-to-foot. Randy couldn't blame him as he had never quite been the one to plan their missions. "It's unlikely Section 13 will be expecting us and break past our equipment."

"A chance we can't take, though. This is our only opportunity to get into their warehouse while they're distracted with the Fentons." Almost the second the hunters had shown up on Fenton Works had Danny been calling them and throwing the plan into action, Randy proud beyond words for his quick thinking. "Besides, you're just upset you're not Alpha Ghost."

Andrew's noise of outrage was cut off by Sam's voice ringing over their headphones, " _The circle is broken, go on in Thing 1 and Thing 2_." The look on Andrew's face was beautiful, truly.

"C'mon, Thing 2." Randy grabbed Andrew's hand, pulling him along past the now broken ring of blood blossoms. Randy had no doubt there were more surprises waiting for them ahead.

"I am Thing  _1_ , thank you," Andrew hissed, quill in his hand as he started writing words in the air, mumbling under his breath. It only took a moment for their ghostly nature to be completely hidden, white lab coats flaring out behind them as they walked to the front door, security badges in hand.

"Very impressive," Randy grinned, Andrew only smirking as they flashed their badges at the bored looking guard before scurrying in. "We don't have much time before they figure out something's wrong and not even you can suppress all traces of energy. Up or down?"

"Down. That's where the labs and databases will be. Up will probably be offices and archives, but if we want the most we need to go down."

Nodding, Randy lead the way towards an elevator, looking around with more and more dread before tapping his ear piece, "It's the old Guys-in-White base, yeah, but the inside has a major overhaul. Whoever is giving them funding it's more than the government ever gave them." There was a camera every five feet and thick enough walls that they wouldn't be broken or burnt down anytime soon. Randy was willing to be they were ghost proof, too.

" _Fuck_." That seemed to be Tucker's only response on the matter, Randy sighing as he scanned his ID card to just get the elevator opening, scanning it again when requesting to go down to the first basement.

"Paranoid little bastards, aren't they?" Randy tried to make it look like he was busy with the clipboard Andrew's disguise had given him, Andrew flipping through some papers himself. "How long do you think we have?"

"Twenty minutes tops before someone figures out we're ghosts and twenty one minutes before an alarm is sounded. You feel that, don't you?"

"Like the building is made of blood blossoms? Yeah, I feel it." It was like the walls had been near  _soaked_ in the damn stuff. There was nothing to stop them from moving around the building, but Randy rubbed at his throat anyways, snapping back to attention at Andrew's confused coughing. "Blood blossoms have another side effect of making a ghost relive the way they died."

"Fucking delightful," Andrew coughed before gritting his teeth, looking to be fighting off more coughs with sheer will. "You want tech or bio-weapons?"

"Bio. I'll be able to tell what they're mixing up to kill us now. Think you can find some logs of the tech they're using? Maybe some blueprints?"

"Just another mission," Andrew joked weakly, Randy smiling sadly at the feelings of nervousness and excitement. As much as Andrew hated what he had been, he couldn't help being excited at this anymore than Randy could. "We'll be fine."

The elevator doors dinged open and Randy gave a smirk, "Eighteen minutes." Walking through the labs with purpose, it only took a few short exchanges and eavesdropping sessions to point him to where he needed to go, frowning as he got closer to the area. "Ghost Zone flora… Now how did they get this.

"Hey, control," Randy muttered softly, tapping at the earpiece. "Eyes on Ghost Zone flora beyond blood blossoms. I see at least four other plants, two of them for ghost sedation, one for entrapment, and one- One that's not pleasant to feel the effects of." It was a plant Randy had come across only once and had scarily similar effects to Vlad's 'Plasmius Maximus.' Any touch or contact could lock away a ghost's powers. Probably where Vlad got the damn idea.

" _Copy that, Thing 1, any chance you can figure out what they're mixing up or using them for_?" Mm, good question.

Making as if he was checking the dosage on one of the beakers, Randy gave it a quick sniff. Earth chemicals, definitely, but it was hard to tell what when it was already mixed together.

"I'll work on it," Randy finally responded. Maybe he could find a list?

" _This is so stupid… Thing 2 reporting in. Visual on weapon schematics and databases. Using the memory drive to retrieve them now. Can I please choose another name_?"

" _Control copies, Shakespeare_." It took everything Randy had to not choke on laughter, almost failing when he  _heard_  Andrew's growl. God, as great as that was he couldn't even enjoy it.

"Fourteen minutes." They were on a time limit, after all. "I'll get as many samples as I can." Maybe he could do something with them in his own workspace, but right now all he could do was dig through the few glass vials he had brought and carefully measure some into each one.

He got through a dozen of the mixtures before he felt a ripple of shock coming from Andrew, Randy near dropping the vial he was holding as he looked around. " _Sh- Shakespeare reporting in._ " Fuck, it was bad if he was using the name. " _Eyes on Walker and Valerie. Second basement_."

The line went dead silent, Randy grabbing what he could before heading to the elevator as  _fast_ as he could. Hopefully he didn't look too suspicious, but Walker  _and_ Valerie. " _Valerie? As in Red Huntress I'm going to shoot you in the face Valerie?_ "

" _That would be the one, Sa- Bobcat, yes._ " Getting off the elevator once the doors opened, Randy carefully picked his way over to where he felt Andrew's energy coming from, a mousy haired little scientist looking at him with wide eyes before nodding over towards where the two were. "They're working together."

"Fuck." Walker was speaking quietly with his hands behind his back and his shoulders relaxed, Valerie nodding along to whatever he said with a silent, deadly seriousness. "We need to get out of here. Now."

"Right behind you," Andrew muttered, pushing at Randy's back. "If they don't know we're here then they will soon. Fuck, they weren't- Control, we're leaving. Walker and Valerie are both here and I'm not foolish enough to risk it."

" _Roger that, Shakespeare. Meet up with Bobcat, fix the circle of salt, and get the hell back here before Alpha Ghost vibrates out of his skin with worry_."

It was a quick rush back to the outside, Randy on high alert the entire time, vials in his pockets feeling heavier than anything as they rushed through the complex. He hadn't expected to see Walker after feeling the blood blossoms that soaked the place, but to see Valerie, too? That was… That wasn't good.

"Randy, there's something else." Andrew's breathing was quick and uneven, eyes blown wide as his hands flexed for the knife Randy knew he wished he had. "You said you saw plants where you were, but there was one over in developing weapons."

"Blood blossoms, I take it?" Randy frowned as Andrew bit sharply on his bottom lip, not speaking until they had flashed their badges and were leaving the complex. Even then he didn't speak, only pulling a petri dish out of his pocket. "What's this?"

Andrew handed it off, emotions out of control and expression grim. Randy flipped it over to study it, frowning as it looked like a cut off section of a stem. "A flower stem? Why would this-"

"It's a sample of some vines." Looking down again, Randy saw the stem, or, well vine, was pitch black and this section had what seemed to be a red thorn sticking out of it. Moving to take the lid off, Andrew stopped him with a hand to his wrist. "Blood blossom vines."

"What." That wasn't a thing. Vines like those didn't exist. How could they get a hold of something that didn't exist? "Andy, that can't…"

"It looks like they synthesized some. I didn't know what it was at first, and…" Andrew flipped over his right hand - the hand Randy hadn't even realized he was  _hiding_ \- to show a dark burn seared into his palm. "Not even half a second of contact."

Randy stared, finally tucking the dish away and tapping his ear piece as Sam came into view, "Control, we've run into a problem." This… This changed things.

::

"You say it's  _more_ powerful?" Nodding at Maddie's question, Andrew hissed as Randy tightened the bandage on his hand. Even after healing salve it still burned like  _hell_.

"Typically we don't seen burns like this with blood blossoms. It leaves a mark, but nothing this  _violent_." Instead of red skin with maybe a blister or callus, the skin had been burned  _black_. It was a miracle Andrew hadn't managed to draw attention to himself and even more of one that he had managed to get a sample.

"The lingering burns also continue the effects of blood blossoms," Andrew mumbled, wincing as he tried to move his fingers. "Meaning my hand currently feels like it's on fire."

"That, typically, is something you tell us sooner," Randy sighed, moving Danny's hand to rest over the bandages. Andrew gave him an odd look before a burst of cold settled over him. Andrew wasn't sure if it was ice in general or ghostly ice that did it, but it felt  _delightful_.

"It's worse than just making them hurt more." Danny was pressed up on Andrew's other side from where Andrew was sitting on the counter, clinging to his arm as Randy held Danny's hand over Andrew's lightly. "Certain vines grow like crazy, don't they?"

"They could throw up a barrier to keep ghosts out anytime they wanted," Randy muttered, shaking his head. "And these don't glow to let ghosts know the danger."

"The insides sure are something, though," Jack whistled, Andrew blinking at him. "Well, look." Tilting a microscope slide towards them, Andrew was surprised to see the entire inside was glowing a bloody red, just like the petals of the actual plant. "They did a good job on them."

"Loathe as I am to admit it, you're right," Vlad sighed, fiddling with his own slide and wearing thick gloves coated in one of Randy's solutions to keep the burns from affecting him. "This is unlike anything we've ever seen when it comes to hunter technology. If you could weaponize it and even stab a ghost with it, well. It'd be like a bullet wound to a human. Bleeding, shock, internal damage, torn skin…"

"They're really trying to kill us." Gaze snapping to Danny, Andrew's eyes widened at just how  _scared_ the other looked. He could stop himself from pulling Danny closer to him, hugging him tightly even as his hand pulsed with pain. "I mean, I knew they were, but…"

"We haven't faced hunters who actually wanted to kill us. Capture us and figure out how we work, sure, but killing…" Randy shook his head, words bitter and sour. "They see themselves as pest control."

"Pest control that we're going to be shutting down." God, Andrew was so glad Danny had told his parents. He would need their support now more than ever with what mess they were getting themselves into.

"Tucker and Sam are going through the flash drive Andy got, now," Danny nodded, managing a smile. "They'll find something and email it to you. Any idea on what to do about the vines?"

"There might be a way to neutralize them," Vlad mused, studying under the microscope. Andrew could really see how these three had flourished in science specializations. Vlad had always been too curious to be  _that_ good of a businessman. "Maybe kill them?"

"Fenton weed whacker," Jack shot out, Andrew trying to hide a smile as Vlad and Maddie both slapped one of his arms.

"I'm glad they're friends again," Danny said softly, leaning into Andrew and tangling a hand in Randy's shirt. "They work well together."

"They do," Andrew agreed, watching the three bounce ideas off of one another. It was the kind of easy banter that came from years of knowing each other. Even decades of anger hadn't ruined it. He hoped  _their_ relationship got like that one day… Ah, but for now they had more important things to focus on. "Is there any sort of chemical that can be used, maybe?"

"Maybe," Maddie sighed, crossing her arms. "We'll need time to figure something out. For now, though, I want you boys to stay away from Section 13.  _All_ of you." Laughing as Randy was the first to nod seriously, Andrew nodded and smiled himself.

"We'll be careful, Mrs. Fenton, I promise. We're just as concerned about all of this as you."

"Andrew, for the last time, just call me Maddie."

"Of course, Mrs. Fenton."

"We'll be fine, Mom. There are a lot of ghosts in Amity Park and we're pretty good at staying in a group when we need to." That was most likely a part of the problem. The more ghosts were in Amity Park the greater the threat Section 13 saw - and the more Walker could exploit their fear into something dangerous.

Hm. They assumed it was the ghosts that had something to do with the students learning to speak Ghostspeak, but what if it was  _more_ from what the Fentons had done? If that was true then they would be seeing greater effects, even the non ghostly ones. So maybe…

" _Mrs. Fenton, could you pass me that cup of coffee_?" Ignoring the odd looks from the ghosts in the room, Andrew felt a mix of worry and satisfaction as Maddie sighed and handed him the cup. He saw the others go from confused to shocked. "Madeline, I was speaking Ghostspeak."

"Oh, so you  _do_  know my name- You were?" Maddie frowned, looking over to Jack and Vlad. While Jack just gave an uneasy shrug, Vlad was snapping out a rapid fire question in Ghostspeak, Maddie and Jack responding at once.  _In Ghostspeak_.

"Oh, dear," Vlad murmured, Danny looking between his parents with wide eyes. "That… That shouldn't be possible."

"The students are speaking it, too," Andrew said, nodding at Vlad's look. "They're  _understanding_ the language, not merely parroting."

"That shouldn't be possible- No, it  _really_ shouldn't. Ghostspeak relies on  _core_ energy." That- What? Andrew looked to his mates, a little reassured at seeing they looked just as surprised. "It relies on either core energy or very,  _very_ high amounts of ectoplasmic energy in the body." As Vlad spoke he fiddled with an empty slide, holding his hand out towards Jack. Andrew could see where this was going and winced in sympathy at the yelp as Vlad drew some blood, sticking it under the scope.

"So, what, the portal is causing radiation sickness- Or, er, ectoplasm sickness?" Oh, that very much did not sound good. Maddie seemed to think the same by her paling face.

"Oh, no, nothing that dangerous." Vlad was quick to reassure them, Andrew not able to tell if he was lying or not. "I am going to need some blood samples from you three- Yes, little badger, you too."

"Could ours be caused from the portal we made in college?" Jack asked quietly, Maddie heading to the basement to no doubt get something to draw blood with.

"I- I don't think so." Vlad tried for a smile. "I fear I was the only one to be affected by that little venture. No, this is something else. So many years on the rift here in Amity Park?"

"C'mon, let's leave them to it and get you home," Danny mumbled, nudging at Andrew and matching his palm up to Andrew's hurt one carefully. "Randy?"

"As you wish," Randy hummed, Andrew sighing as the familiar energy wrapped around them and they tumbled onto the bed. Andrew laughed at noticing that even with the tangled heap they ended up in, the two had been careful to make sure Andrew's hand wasn't hurt anymore.

"I… I don't like this, guys." Amusement quickly dying at Danny's look, Andrew didn't even get to open his mouth before the teen continued. "Section 13 has some dangerous new plant, my parents seem to be  _poisoned_ with ectoplasm, and now Valerie is working  _with_ Walker? It's… It isn't right."

"No, it isn't," Randy admitted, moving to cup Danny's cheeks and pull him into a soft kiss. "We'll make it right, though. Whatever it takes."

"Don't be so quick to give in, mon cher. You have your own army behind you, after all." Returning Danny's smile, Andrew felt it drop as Randy distracted the other with more kisses. For as much as he was right, Danny was, too.

Summer was almost there and it felt like they were getting into something far more than just another ghost fight.


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter Sixty Five**

::

"What do you say then, Andy? Excited that you won't have to wake up early for a whole two months?"

"I'd be more excited if you didn't feel the need to wake me up by sitting on me." Ha, Andrew could complain all he wanted, but Danny knew the other was hiding a smile into his pillow. "Is there a reason for this horrible way of waking up?"

"It's the last day of school!" Squirming to get more comfortable, Danny braced his hands on Andrew's shoulder blades, getting a bit distracted by the warm skin before he was leaning down to place a kiss between them.

"Works better on Randy," Andrew hummed, melting under the touch anyways. "And should I take this excitement as an insult to my classes, then?"

"Hey, I'm going to miss your classes," Danny said, hiding a pout against Andrew's skin, and grinning as he felt the other shift and stretch. "It was fun to watch you teach and imagine your reaction if I stood up and asked you to fuck me against the desk."

"I'm rather certain we've done that a few times." A sharp turn had Danny scrambling to catch his balance, whining when Andrew trapped him with a hug and pinned his arms to his side. "Do I need to bring up the incident on Valentine's day?"

"I remember Valentine's day. It was a really nice day." They had gotten together with Randy, Danny had fucked Andrew in an empty classroom on the floor, and he had eaten lots of chocolate. Good day.

"You are incorrigible, I hope you realize." Squirming around, Danny pecked a kiss under Andrew's chin, grinning at the burst of laughter. "Oui, oui, je t'aime aussi."

"I really love hearing you speak French, you know." Pushing himself back up, Danny looked down at Andrew before leaning in to steal a kiss. Andrew returned it at once, pressing back against him before he was jerking away with a hiss that startled Danny. "Andy? Hey, what's-"

"Main." Oh- Oh! Right. Slipping off to sit at Andrew's side, Danny grabbed the bandaged hand and channeled ice energy into his own hands as carefully as possible, smiling a little when Andrew relaxed. "Merci beaucoup."

"I can't tell if that was because I just said I like hearing you speak French or if it was just instinct where you're hurt." Andrew blinked up at him, looking surprised before frowning. "You have no idea, do you?"

"It's mostly the second one." Startling at Randy, goddamn former assassins, Danny shifted over as Randy settled beside them with bandages and one of his healing tonics. "How you feeling, Andy?"

"Like shit," Andrew huffed, smiling a bit when Randy tossed his glasses over before sliding Danny's own on and oh, that was much better, actually. "How much longer until this heals?"

"Another few days. Speed healing doesn't work on blood blossom burns. Danny, want to keep icing that up while I do this?"

"Can do," Danny nodded, cupping Andrew's hand and placing two fingers near the outside edges of the wound, wincing at how the skin was still blackened. "That's not normal, is it?"

"No, it's not. It's like… It's almost like it's  _poisonous_  to ghosts." That didn't sound good. Andrew seemed to agree by his pale look, Randy quickly shaking his head. "Don't worry, don't worry, you only touched it briefly." As he spoke, he smoothed one of the creams on, rubbing it into the skin. "Like I said, you should be okay in a few days."

"I'd rather it be now," Andrew grumbled, Danny leaning over to kiss at his cheek. And then kiss at his smile. And then maybe-

"If you're going to start making out on the bed then don't freeze his hand off." Glancing down to see a few ice crystals, Danny let his hand go before moving, maybe flying, to sit in Andrew's lap and pull him back into their kiss, thoroughly distracting him as Randy wrapped a bandage around the burn.

"I seem to have a very bad habit of getting burned," Andrew mumbled between kisses, Danny trying not to laugh as Randy snorted and tied the bandage off with a flourish.

"That's okay, we'll always be here to make it better." Danny kissed him one last time before flying off of him, knowing if he didn't then they would end up being  _very_ late to school, but then, mm, maybe he should make sure Randy didn't feel jealous or anything like that.

::

After a late start to the day and almost being late for class, everything seemed to just about  _fly_ by. After the haze of testing, classes had been getting easier and easier and most teachers didn't seem to care what their students did as long as they didn't set the school on fire. Andrew seemed to be in the second category, furiously typing on his laptop and shaking out his bandaged hand every so often during Creative Writing.

"The burn is still that bad?" Sam frowned, adding another mark to their tic-tac-toe board. Danny raised an eyebrow at the bat on their new board, shrugging and adding a ghost to the next spot.

"Yeah, and that's after some of Randy's healing cream went on it, too. It's getting better, but it's been a few days now and it's still black."

"Jeez those vines are even more dangerous than we thought- I win." What? How the hell?

"You're cheating. You have to be cheating because I've been trying to cheat." That earned him a whack to his knuckle's with Sam's pen, Danny pouting as he clutched his hand to his chest. "There's no need to be mean about it."

"Didn't we learn a lesson about cheating?" It spoke volumes that a comment like that had Danny laughing rather than feeling afraid. "What are we gonna do about Section 13?"

"I don't know… Those weapons looked ready to go and they had enough for a couple hundred people. Whatever they're about to do they're going to do it soon. We need to keep an eye out and try to get back in those databases."

"Tucker's working on it. I've been talking to my parents about this, a little. Maybe they can buy out the company or something. Mom was so pleased I was initiating conversation with her again that she agreed she'd look into it. We also went to dinner and it wasn't horrible."

"Was your dress black?" At the offended look, Danny smirked. "Dark purples?" Ah, she never changed. Danny was happy to hear her teenage rebellion phase was calming down, though. "I'm glad, Sammy."

"Yeah, well, I could only be a little shit for so long." Sam started a new board, doodling a ghost this time. Danny drew his DP symbol. "Clockwork still can't see?"

"Not a thing. Jazz and him have been trying to look into the people around them to figure something out, but so far nothing, really." There was muttered swearing over from the teacher's desk, Danny glancing up and oh, he was looking for a word. "What's another word for like, beautiful- Like slutty, but not slutty. Attractive slutty?"

To Sam's credit, she didn't look at him like he was crazy, only frowning for a moment, "Hm… Alluring, maybe?" Looking back to Andrew to see he now had a beaming smile and was typing much more happily, Danny nodded.

"Thanks." Hm, alluring. That must have meant he was working on that new manuscript of his. Queen's Gift? "Hey, have you heard anymore people speaking Ghostspeak?"

"Way more. It's spread all over the school at this point. And you know that theory about ghost radiation or whatever?" Sam cleared her throat, sitting up a little. " _I think you might be right_."

"Oh- Oh. Well, fuck." That probably couldn't be good. "I guess it'd hit you guys harder because all the ghost fighting and time in the Ghost Zone?"

"Definitely. Not to mention we've literally had ectoplasm on us and probably in us," Sam shuddered, Danny fighting off a laugh. "Why did we agree to that blood pact?"

"Because it was an awesome idea and you suggested it."

"Semantics," Sam waved off, Danny giving in to the laugh.

"Okay, okay, so we have ghostly behavior in adults, Ghostspeak in teens and younger, Section 13 riding our asses, and it's our last day of school. Anything else world ending?"

"Hey, Danny?" Looking up to see Star, Danny shot Sam a look. Sam looked just as baffled, giving a small shrug. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure, Star. What's up?" He… He couldn't really remember the last time he had really talked with Star. That lunch in the library, yeah, and before that- Oh, right. "And, uh, sorry if I was rude to you before spring break, by the way."

"Oh, that's okay, I know you were just sorting through your emotions." Oh, right. The proposing rumor. Well, she hadn't been wrong.

"H- Ha. Yeah- Yeah, right, emotions." Ignoring the no doubt shit-eating grin Andrew had on, Danny cleared his throat. "So, uh, what's up?"

"Right. Right, well, um, it's less talking and more I have a question for you, I guess." A glance showed that the other A Listers were listening carefully and oh, jeez. It was the last day of school so they were probably going to ask to confirm the rumors- " _You- You are Danny Phantom_?"

For a moment, a single moment, Danny was worried by just how fast they were learning Ghostspeak. Then he realized what she had just asked. Danny stared into wide blue eyes that looked as surprised as he- No, he wasn't even surprised. Horrified, maybe? Terrified? Fucking scared out of his goddamn  _mind_ \- "Oh," Star said softly.

Stumbling out of his seat fast enough to knock his chair over, Danny backed away from Star as if she was dangerous- But, she was, wasn't she? She had no obligation to keep his secret. None at all. And if she knew, then that meant the A Listers knew. How long? How long had it taken for them to figure it out-

"Danny- Danny, oh, no, it's okay. It's okay, Danny-" Star babbled as she stepped forward, Danny skittering back and only staring at her. He couldn't see Sam's expression and he didn't even glance to Andrew. He could only shake his head.

"No- No, don't you  _dare_ tell me this is okay." He thought he was ready. He thought he was ready for people to find out who he was, but- He had spent  _years_ hiding and now suddenly everyone was figuring it out- "This isn't okay."

"Danny-" Staring at them all, Danny swallowed before he phased through the door and  _flew_. He didn't know where he was going or what he was doing or what he was  _going_ to do, but he just- He had to get out of there. He couldn't- He hadn't been ready. He thought he had, but he hadn't been ready to deal with  _this_.

Familiar energy rushed through him, Danny breathing unsteadily as he wildly looked around as arms captured him and brought him close. Struggling for only a moment, he calmed at the purple cloak that was wrapped around him tightly.

"Oh, Daniel." Near crying at the familiar voice, Danny curled close to Clockwork at once, bringing the cloak even tighter around him. "You weren't ready."

"Cl- Clockwork. What is- What's  _happening_." The language of the dead was being spoken by the living, students were seeing who he really was, and Amity Park was something  _different_. "What's happening to my home?"

"It's… It's going to take a while to explain, Daniel. Will you be patient as I do?" That… Yeah- Yeah. Danny could be patient. He could be patient.

"Tell me everything." Everything he could use to save his town.


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter Sixty Six**

::

"Did you at least text your mates before hiding here? Because I've heard the stories and I don't want to deal with any angry assassin ghosts and Dad probably does even less." Oh. Elle was calling Vlad her dad again. Good. That was good. " _Danny_."

"Chill, Elle, I sent them both a text that I was laying low for a while until it all settled down." And also because Danny couldn't figure out how to explain what he had just learned and he just needed some time alone. Unfortunately, alone time came at the price of an overly nosy cousin.

"They're still gonna be worried." Elle crawled on top of him just to be annoying, Danny sighing and trying to pull his blanket over his head more. Elle 'helped' by squishing his face into the pillows of the guest bed that had sort of kind of become his. "I mean, I guess it's pretty smart to hide here. No one would have guessed that."

"I trust Vlad to not kill me while my back is turned." Humiliating him, though, was a different matter. "Don't you have non-annoying things to do? Like homework?"

"Homework is annoying and today is my last day, too. I get a summer just like you- Hey, we should go skateboarding. Do you know how to skateboard? Dad said he'd take me surfing, but I wanna learn to  _skate_."

"Ask Sam, I thinks she knows." His face was smushed down again as Elle excitedly bounced around, rambling about her summer plans, Danny relaxing a little at her childish enthusiasm. Maybe this was a bit better than being alone. "I can't breathe when you smother me, you know."

"Hey, you're the one not fighting back." Elle, jumping up and down on the bed, jumped right onto his back. Danny thanked every god he knew that she used flight to lower herself down instead of gravity. "Wanna talk now or hide under the covers some more?"

"Hiding sounds pretty good." Sighing as the covers were jerked off his head, Danny sat up and smirked as Elle yelled and went tumbling back. "What do you know, having a cousin  _is_ fun." Alright, he deserved the kick, but it was still funny. "I… What do you know about what's been going on lately?"

"Oh, um…" Elle started listing things out, ticking them off on her fingers. "Section 13 is trying to capture you, Amity Park residents are learning Ghostspeak, and I think I've been grounded for something."

"It's not just Ghostspeak- Wait, what are you grounded for? You got grounded? When!" He didn't know this. Why didn't he know this?

"Nothing much," Elle shrugged. "Don't even worry about it, like I said, it wasn't really grounding. It was more 'never do something like that again or I'll get grey hairs in my ghost form' and stuff like that." Jesus. Poor Vlad. "So what about Ghostspeak?"

"My classmates figured out I'm Danny Phantom." Yeah, that shut her up real quick, didn't it? "One of them asked me in Ghostspeak if I was Phantom. They're picking it up fast, they're noticing more ghostly things, and they're even  _acting_ more ghostly. Just- I mean, it's not super noticeable, but it's little things."

"Yeah… All of Amity is starting to act like one of the ghost clans. You know, all affectionate and there for one another kind of stuff." Yeah… Yeah, that was exactly it. "Any of them showing obsessions?"

"Valerie- Oh, she's working for Walker and Section 13, by the way." Now, see, Danny was  _pretty sure_  Elle had said 'what,' but the screech was so loud and angry that he couldn't quite tell. "But, yeah, she's shown obsessive traits-"

"No! Nuh-uh, no way, you can't just move on- Valerie was  _cool_! I liked her! She liked us! She started seeing ghosts as much than just ghosts after what happened!" Yeah… That was the problem. Just who had approached her first and what had they told her to get her on that side?

"I know, but that's… It's getting bad, Elle. I talked to Clockwork today and he couldn't say much but Amity Park is  _literally_ turning into a ghost town! So much ectoplasmic energy has been soaking the place that it's taking on traits we'd see in the Ghost Zone and the citizens are taking on traits like we see in the ghosts!"

"So Amity Park is becoming a part of the Ghost Zone?" Elle asked softly, Danny responding with a grim nod. "And you're worried? Are you kidding? That sounds so totally awesome!"

"Wha- Elle! It is not 'so totally awesome'! This is  _dangerous_. We don't know what happens when ectoplasm mixes with humans like this-" Elle gave him such a look that Danny felt like hitting himself for how stupid a reason that was. He didn't, but he wanted to. "First of all, that's different, second of all,  _that's the point_. A town full of half-ghosts doesn't sound scary to you?"

"No, it sounds  _awesome_. I mean, it's great! Everyone is getting along, humans are getting our neat powers, I mean, sort of, and it's like one big happy family kind of thing! How isn't that the greatest thing ever? Amity Park is a  _ghost town_. How are you not freaking out!"

"Oh, no, trust me, I'm very much freaking out over here." It… It was kind of hard to stay worried, though, when Elle was bouncing up and down before tripping over a tangled blanket and right onto the floor. Danny flew over in a flash, sitting down on the floor next to her in a huff when she started laughing. He couldn't stop a small one of his own, though.

"This is just- It's so great! I'm  _definitely_ going to be visiting Amity more often- Hey, hey, maybe you can help me convince Dad to find a house out there!" A house- What?

"He has one?" Elle shot up, staring at him with wide eyes. "Yeah, down by that heights place? He lived there when he was doing his whole Mayor thing. He probably still owns it-"

"Why didn't he tell  _me_  about this?! Ugh!" Flashing into her ghost form, Elle stood up and ruffled Danny's hair into a mess. "See ya later, cuz, I gotta go be a spoiled rich kid."

"Oh, yeah, I bet you're all broken up about that." Danny bumped his fist with Elle's, watching the girl shoot off before he was sighing and collapsing backwards, rubbing at his eyes. As much as Elle's enthusiasm helped, it was still… How much damage had he caused with the portal? If it hadn't been for him and that button then maybe none of this would have happened.

"You know, Vlad knows how to live in style. This is almost as nice as my castle." Ah, but then again,  _none_ of it would have happened. Dropping his hands, Danny opened his eyes to see Randy crouching over him, small smile on his face. "Salut, petit mec."

"Bonjour, cher loup." Laughing at the quirked brow, Danny held his hands up to cup Randy's cheeks. "It seemed to fit. You know. Wolf. White Fang. Your whole pet thing-"

"Wolves aren't pets," Randy huffed, flicking at Danny's cheek. "You want to talk about it, yet?" Hm. Did he want to talk?

"Not… Not now." He was only just starting to feel better and he really didn't want to spiral back into remembering how everyone  _knew_ -

"That's alright. How about instead of talking you spend your first day of summer with me going on an adventure in the Ghost Zone." Oh. An adventure? "I figure now that your grades aren't on the line we can take an overnight one and it'll be okay. I have to report in to the Observants, first, and I know it might take you some time to decide-"

"No! Yes, I mean- No, I mean yes, because  _hell_ yes, I'd love to go with you." Danny figured he  _probably_ could have made his point without knocking Randy to the ground and smothering him with hugs, but Randy seemed happy enough to be used as a pillow and blanket in one. "Trust me, Randy, an adventure sounds  _great_ right about now." A  _distraction_ sounded perfect.

It took another fifteen minutes just for them to finally leave Vlad's, Danny raiding the kitchen for any leftover baked goods - he hit the jackpot - before using the Ghost Zone to get to the Fenton Works portal and rush to his room to pack his bag.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad, bye Mom, bye Dad, staying overnight in the Ghost Zone!" Instead of panicked worry like even a year ago, the two just called out a 'be safe,' Danny grinning as he rushed to Vidya. "Hey, Andy! Randy's kidnapping me!"

"I am not kidnapping you! At your age it's called abduction!" Choking on a laugh, Danny followed their signatures to Andrew's current favorite study room, the man looking startled from where he had been typing. Danny put an end to that at once, squirming into Andrew's lap with a cheerful smile.

"Hello to you, too," Andrew laughed, kissing at Danny's cheek. "Feeling better?" Ah, the dreaded question.

"Not… Kind of? Maybe not better, but getting there." That earned him a hug from Andrew and a kiss from Randy and yes- Yes. That was very nice. "Right! Me and Randy are going on an adventure."

"Did you pack food and a change of clothes?" All three of them paused, Andrew pulling a horrified face. "I've become Mother."

"She would be proud," Randy said solemnly, Danny choking on a laugh as he squirmed his way out of their arms. "You're just ready to go, aren't you?"

"Come on, I haven't been on an adventure with you in forever! Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go,  _let's go_!"

"Good luck," Andrew hummed, kissing Randy's cheek and grinning at the offended scoff. Danny laughed himself, and oh, yes, this was going to be  _great_.

::

Okay, it would be great as soon as they got away from the Observants and their stupid citadel lair tower thing. At least Clockwork's lair looked cool, this place just reminded Danny of DMVs, courthouses, and prison cells. Considering the stories he had heard, he probably wasn't very far off on the last one.

Randy had gone to report to the Head Observant about their progress in apprehending Walker, but he had left Danny near one of the main areas with advice to  _not_ piss anyone off. Considering Danny's very existence angered these one-eyed losers, he probably wasn't doing a very good job based on all the glaring he was getting- Oh, and now there was whispering.

Great. Because his day couldn't get any worse and those guards were looking very intently at him and Danny really would rather not be stuck in a prison cell for a few hours just because he was a 'proven threat to the existence of time.'

"I see I'm not the only one to inspire their ire." Oh, thank god. Danny darted over to Clockwork's side at once, taking no shame in hiding under his cloak and slightly behind him. "They won't hurt you, Daniel."

"Not risking it." Besides, Clockwork was a great shield. "I didn't think I'd see you here. I thought you hated the Observants."

"Oh, yes, I quite despise them." Wow. Clockwork had no care for lowering his voice and Danny had never seen a floating eyeball look so angry. "I was seeing if there was a way to view Walker here. I… I do not have a good feeling of what is to come."

"Yeah, trust me, I get it. Having fun living like a mortal and not knowing what comes next, then?" That earned him a quiet chuckle and a hand through his hair, Danny grinning. "I'll take that as a yes, then. Hey, any hints for the adventure me and Randy are about to go on?"

"Don't go left." That- Danny wasn't sure if that was helpful or completely ominous. "That was a joke, Daniel. I can't see where you two will go, but I have little doubt that you will enjoy yourself."

"You tell horrible jokes." Just like the joke that everything would be okay when the entire town was turning into a subsection of the Ghost Zone and every human was finding out his secret. How funny.

"Something we share, I believe." Rude. "It really will be okay, Daniel." Clockwork pulled him into a light hug, Danny relaxing against him. "Perhaps not today or soon, but I can promise you with everything I am that everything will be-"

"As it should be?"

"No. Everything will be  _okay_."

That… He supposed that was a little more reassuring. Right. Happy fun adventure time. "Well, have fun pissing off floating eyeballs, but I got a mate to explore with and tease horribly."

"Really? How come  _I_  didn't know about the teasing." Letting out a startled laugh at the arms that wrapped around him, Danny beamed as he looked up to Randy. "The 'floating eyeballs' aren't very happy, but they understand the dangers in this job."

"You White Fang'd them into submission, didn't you?" Both Randy and Clockwork gave him strange looks, Danny frowning. "You know. The whole- The whole glaring 'I can kill you without even using my weapons' look of White Fang's."

"Jesus, yeah, it's a good thing summer started for you." With that, Randy was dragging him off, Danny squirming around to wave at Clockwork over Randy's shoulder. Clockwork laughed before giving a little wave back. "He dotes on you."

"Yeah, he kind of does." Squirming some more, Danny pushed himself out of Randy's arms, speeding through the air and back out into the open air of the Ghost Zone. "Where are we going?"

"Pick a direction." Not needing to be told twice, Danny picked at random and sped off as fast as he could, feeling like he was trying to outrun  _everything_. Amity Park, his classmates, Walker, Valerie, every scrap of drama and stress that was building up again- He was trying to outrun it all.

"You weren't kidding about being fast." Randy was just barely keeping pace with him, Danny laughing and letting himself get lost for a few more minutes - maybe ten or twenty or who  _knew_ \- before doubling back and latching onto Randy's back, snuggling close and closing his eyes. "Overload?"

"No- Kind of, but not my usual type." There was just so much that was going on… Right. Distraction. "Hey- Hey, why do you love exploring so much? Like, you always know these cool places."

"Oh, uh, well. I guess at first it was because there was nowhere else to go?" Randy frowned, reaching up to grab the arm Danny had wrapped around his shoulders. "I didn't need to sleep or eat or anything, really, and Andy was still alive then so I just picked a direction and just… I flew. I kept going until I reached the end and it started all over again."

"Why do you still go exploring now, though? I mean, you seem like you really love it." Danny shifted to rub his cheek against Randy's shoulder, smiling at the laugh he felt vibrate through the other.

"I guess I like the freedom of it. Being able to go wherever I want and no one able to stop me. Plus everything I see is  _beautiful_ , and, well, I know I can always return home, now." Yeah… Home. "What about you? Why do you like exploring?"

"It's…" Danny opened his eyes to look at all the green before closing them again and picturing night skies and stars. "It's as close to my dream as I'll ever get. I mean-" He wasn't in the habit of lying to himself anymore. "I'll never be an astronaut and see new worlds, but this is- This is just as good, right? I mean, here I am in another world right now and I never have to worry about getting too far from home because this world  _is_ my home.

"I can fly forever and always find my way back, I can experience something that no  _human_ has ever really seen before, and I can always go back home whenever I want. It might not be touching the stars, but it's just as good. It's… Isn't that amazing?"

"Oh, Danny." Eyes opening, Danny blinked as he saw Randy had slowed down and was staring at him, expression so, so, so,  _so_  soft. "I don't think you'll ever need to touch the stars, Danny. Not when they're all in your eyes."

"That was rude." Danny could  _feel_ the blush on his face and all he could do was whine and try to hide against Randy's back. Randy, the traitor, laughed.

The two flew in silence for a while longer, Danny hating himself for how his thoughts kept turning back to Amity Park. "Randy… Clockwork said that Amity Park was changing. Like, completely changing. Do you… Do you think we'll be alright?"

"I think…" Randy sighed, grip on Danny's arm tightening. "I think that even if it all goes to shit, we'll figure it out and fix it together. We'll get through this, Danny."

"Yeah… Yeah, we will." Together. Danny liked the sound of that. Now if they could just get through summer without the world ending.


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter Sixty Seven**

::

"Andy- C'mon, Andy, for fuck's sake-  _Wake up_!" A sharp shake through his entire body had Andrew startling awake, eyes wide as he stared at where Randy was looking at him with thinly veiled panic. "You were screaming-"

"Danny." Had Andrew been screaming? Hm, it seemed so. Unimportant, though. No- Important. Something was wrong. "Randy, where's-"

"Whoa, whoa, hey, Danny is sleeping over at Fenton Works tonight, remember?" Randy swallowed, expression pinched and hands gripping Andrew's arms just a touch too tightly. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"I- No- Yes?" Andrew shook his head and he just- He felt like something very, very bad had just happened. "Where's your phone?"

"You felt it, too." Oh, yes, something was very, very wrong. Randy tossed over the phone and Andrew was going through the contacts at once, raising an eyebrow at seeing the name. "Oh, shut up, I know you saved his name as mon cher."

"No, no, I think it's cute." Andrew pressed call, putting the phone to his ear. "Every wolf needs a little puppy, after all." The punch to his arm was worth it, truly. "Ringing." Phone wasn't dead, then, or destroyed. That was good. Except it kept ringing.

" _Hi, this is Danny Fenton, I'm not here right now, but feel free to leave a message after the whole beep thing. Why is it even a beep? That's stupid. Shouldn't it be something different. We should be able to customize-_ " The typical beeping sound cut off the ramblings, Andrew's smile weak as he shook his head and hung up.

"No answer and straight to voicemail." Which was… Danny always picked up his phone, even in the middle of the night. Years of ghost hunting had made him a very light sleeper. "Randy."

"I know, I know." Randy took the phone, dialing up new numbers. "Here, let's see if this can't help- Ah, yo, Sam, Tucker, you two still awake?"

" _If Danny didn't love you so much then I would kill you_." Oh, that was Tucker and not Sam. Interesting. Scooting a bit closer, Andrew smiled when Randy tilted the phone so they could both hear. " _Whaddya want?_ "

"Can either of you get a hold of Danny? Andy and I both got a bad feeling and Danny didn't pick up his phone just now." It was a moment of silence, Andrew hearing rustling around from what sounded like both ends.

" _He's not answering the emergency numbers or my regular number_ ," Sam mumbled, yawning halfway through her words.

" _No response on IM or messaging_ ," Tucker threw in, sounding just as tired. " _I'll go on over and check on him, I only live a few blocks out. Besides, now I'm not gonna sleep until_ I  _make sure he's okay_."

"Thanks, Tucker. Take a weapon or two with you, too." The 'just in case' went unsaid, but Andrew knew that they all heard it.

" _You say that like I'm not always carrying a weapon. Alright, I'll check in soon_." The call ended after a few more pleasantries and goodbyes, Andrew still full of nervous energy. The fact Liz was playing a soft melody in his head to try and soothe him told him just how quickly his worries were running away from him.

"He's fine." It was Danny, after all, and what trouble could he get into this late? "His phone is probably on silent and he's asleep with a book on his face."

Randy shifted the blankets so they were heaped up around them like a circling wall, Andrew hating how safe that made him feel and oh… Right. "I used to do this for you when you had a nightmare."

"I remember." Those days were so far away, now, but he still remembered a few of them. "You did everything for me."

"I loved you. Maybe not like I do now, of course, but I've always loved you." Hiding a smile, Andrew shifted to crawl into Randy's lap, sighing softly when arms wrapped around him tightly. "He'll be okay, Andy."

"I know, but…" Andrew looked up and Randy's look said it all. Something felt wrong and neither of them were going to be reassured until they knew for certain that Danny was safely asleep in bed with a silent phone.

Andrew wasn't sure how long it was until Randy's phone started to ring. It felt like an eternity, but it seemed to be not even a second before the phone was in their hands and Randy was pressing speaker, Tucker's voice coming through loud and frantic, " _I can't find him and there's no sign of him. His parents said he went upstairs after dinner and his bed looks like it's been slept in but he's not there and his phone is still on his bed. Did he go to you guys? Vidya?_ "

"We'll check. Call Sam and wake everyone you can." It could still be nothing. It could still be nothing, but they had learned the price of pretending it was when it wasn't. "C'mon." Randy's hand wrapped around his and power swirled around them, Andrew shuddering as they landed on Vidya's front steps with bare feet and thin clothes.

Pushing the doors open, Andrew was scanning the area at once, hope rising as he saw a flash of white before he realized it was a Phantom, just not  _their_ Phantom. "-please! Andrew and Randy  _have_ to be here!" The doors closed and Elle's head snapped over to them, the girl covered in pillows and blankets and looking to have been sobbing.

"Elle?" Randy barely got to ask before the girl was flying for his arms and latching onto him, Randy looking as surprised as Andrew felt. "Hey, hey, what's wrong? What happened?"

"It- They- I was sleeping and I kept hearing noises- He kept screaming at me to run and I didn't know where else to go-" Fuck. Andrew had never been fond of children, but even he couldn't stop himself from flying to the kitchen to grab a warm rag and flying back to immediately scrub at Elle's face.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, Elle, you're okay, we've got you." Randy kept his voice soft and soothing, tucking Elle close and jerking his head towards the couch, Andrew nodding and following after him. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"Section 13 happened!" Oh… Oh, no. "Danny, Dad, the ghosts,  _everyone_. They were all  _taken_." Trying to think of something to say, Andrew startled as Elle was set into his lap, Randy teleporting away without a word. "I couldn't do  _anything_!"

"I'm sure you did everything you could." Tucking the girl under his chin, Andrew stood up carefully and walked towards the kitchen, grabbing a blanket as a second thought. Wrapping Elle up in it and setting her on the counter, Andrew stayed close as he slipped her cookies and went about making a cup of hot chocolate to try and calm her down.

It took a few minutes, but Elle finally bit into one of the cookies, tears starting to dry up. Andrew wasn't too surprised by that. She always had been a strong girl. Finishing off the cup, Andrew passed it to her, making sure both her hands were cupping it to try and get some warmth in her.

"Better?" A small nod. It would have to do. "Okay. I need you to tell me everything you can, Elle, right from the start. Can you do that?"

"I… I was sleeping and Section 13 broke in. I- I'm used to being a light sleeper, you know? I mean, never know when I need to get out of a situation. I thought it was just some stupid burglar that Dad was going to beat up, but then- Then I heard him  _screaming_." Oh, this poor thing. She had only just accepted Vlad again and then to hear something like that…

"It was bad, Andrew. It was really, really… They used those black vine things on him, and when I tried to go down and help he just kept telling me to run. I- I couldn't just leave him! I wanted to fight back, but… But I realized I couldn't do it on my own, either."

"Good girl." Andrew ruffled her hair, smiling sadly when she pressed into the touch as much as she could. "I'm glad. That means you're safe, right?" It was the same bitten lip look Danny used when he was guilty. "Elle…"

"I didn't escape. Val-  _Valerie_  found me. I was cornered and they were about to put me in one of those red thermos things and then Valerie said she'd take care of it." No… Not even she- "She let me go."

"Thank god." Because Andrew really didn't want to have to be petty enough to kill his boyfriend's ex, but if he had to he wouldn't really argue, he supposed. "Wait, she let you go?"

"She told me to stay out of Amity Park and never come back or I'd end up just like Danny." Just like… That meant they had Danny. That meant Section 13 and Walker  _had his mate_.

"Gone." Elle jumped, Andrew just barely helping her save the hot chocolate as he shakily looked over at Randy, the man looking exhausted. How many places had he teleported to. "All of them-  _Everyone_. The lairs are empty, some of the nearby clans are missing, but their things aren't and the nomads  _never_ leave their stuff behind. Every ghost in the damn Zone is gone and Citadel is, too."

"Clockwork wouldn't abandon us to something like this." They all knew how dangerous Section 13 was and Andrew knew for a fact that Clockwork would do the impossible to help those he saw as his. "The Observants?"

"Clockwork's under an oath, too, and he can only interfere so much where Danny's concerned." Randy shoved a hand through his hair, tapping out a beat on his guns. He must have grabbed them the second he left. "Clockwork can't help us now."

"If… If everyone's gone, then why weren't  _we_ captured?" Blinking as they both looked at him, Andrew cleared his throat. "Well, we're only up because we felt something was wrong, but no agents came to Liz, right?"

"No… No, she would have woken us up if that was the case." Randy frowned, speaking slowly, "Maybe… I think maybe it's because Walker didn't know where  _my_ lair was, and that's where we were staying."

"Looks like it just saved your life," Elle said softly, Andrew giving her a weak smile and rubbing at her back.

"If we do this right, then it just saved everyone's lives. Come on, drink your hot chocolate, okay?" Smiling as the girl did as told, Andrew startled at Randy's intense look. "What?"

"It-" Randy shook his head, giving a smile. "Nothing. It can wait." With that, he was pulling out his phone and going through it, eyes narrowing. "Section 13 wants a fight, huh. Well, I'd hate to disappoint."

"Randy? What are you doing?" At this point everyone probably knew something was wrong.

"I'm calling in our own hunters."

::

"You know, I'm getting really sick of waking up in chains with no idea where I am. The fact I even have to  _say_ that should tell you how sick I am of it." Fuck, this was so much worse than that time Nocturne had kidnapped him. At least he hadn't felt like it took all of his effort to even remember his  _name_ , let alone what he had last been doing.

Okay, focus, Fenton. There didn't seem to be anybody around and it was dark. Great. Great first start. Okay, no people was good. That meant he wasn't being tortured. Yet- Argh! Positive thoughts, Fenton! "Okay, okay, chained in a cage and- And drugged?" Considering how everything was blurry and bleary and fuzzy, he was probably drugged. Drugged seem liked a safe bet.

Okay, focus, focus, focus. It was quiet and empty and dark and what had he been doing? There… Okay, think back to last major event- Ah, right. Phantom. School. Right. Okay, after that he had been to Clockwork, he and Randy went on an adventure, Danny had almost died from some fucked up Ghost Zone beast, they had met one of the shifter clans, there- Jeez, one day with Randy was like twenty real days.

Right, he had gone back to Vidya and had lunch the next day, cuddled up with Andrew for a while, and then gone home and had dinner with a visiting Vlad and Elle. Danny and Elle had teamed up, Vlad and Jack got into a debate on ghost biology, and Maddie had been chatting on the phone to Jazz. Pretty normal family dinner.

Bedroom, calling to say goodnight to his mates, and then sleep. That was it. He had gone to sleep, and now here he was confused and lost in chains and what was probably a cage. It was always a cage, these days. Right, who could do this to him? Section 13? No, even Walker was more cautious than that, right? Maybe it was some new ghost wanting to challenge him. Jeez, if so then Kitty and Ember were going to make fun of him for the rest of his life for getting captured so easily.

God, jesus,  _fuck_ , everything fucking  _hurt_. It also felt like there was  _something_ in the air. It was the same feeling before a big storm hit. Ugh, maybe he'd get lucky and this would turn out to be one big test from the Observants. Yeah. That'd be great. Except Clockwork usually warned him when shit like this was about to happen and he hadn't been acting strangely when he last saw him. Ooh, maybe the Observants had kidnapped him because he was a 'danger.' Jeez, if that was the case then Andrew and Randy would be there soon and he'd be home in a few hours.

That still didn't feel quite right, though. He felt too… The Observants wouldn't resort to something as human as  _drugging_ him. So what- A flash of white had Danny perking up, gaze still a bit too unfocused even  _with_ his glasses still on his face. White was good, though. White meant Randy. Except Randy would have said something by now, right?

A quiet, low chuckle bounced off what sounded like metal walls, Danny's eyes wide as the chuckle turned into a southern drawl, "Well, well, well, if isn't my favorite criminal."

"You know, seeing as I'm seventeen still, it'd be  _delinquent_." Fuck-  _Fuck_ , what did he- What  _could_ he do? Chains. Chains and a cage and feeling weak and  _fucking Walker_ -

"Brave old Phantom. Always ready with a quick one-liner and a clever quip." Walker crouched down in front of the cage, Danny swallowing harshly at just how small he felt. "Oh, don't worry, boy, I've got something  _special_ planned for you. I'm gonna make sure you serve your sentence plenty."

"Oh yeah? Feel up to telling me what the crime even is this time?" Danny aimed for a smirk, but it fell flat when he saw Walker's eyes shine like Spectra's with wild, unhinged glee. Walker had never been just another ghost, but now…

"Your  _crime_ , ghost boy, is costing me  _everything_." His grin was utterly toxic and oh… That's why Walker had always been so dangerous. It was why Walker and Spectra  _both_ had been dangerous. While a typical ghost's obsession didn't cause harm or pain, Walker and Spectra were people that thrived off causing the most amount of pain they could. Spectra fed off of it and Walker thrived in it.

People like Skulker who hunted were just in it for the thrill of the hunt and chase, but people like Walker? Walker's obsession had never been locking away criminals. It had always been about  _hunting ghosts_.

"You know what the good thing about the shadow was that you killed?" Feeling like this really wasn't the time for clever comments and sarcastic whips, Danny slowly shook his head. "She had a lot of good information."

The harsh cackling of electricity snapped around them, Danny clenching his left hand tightly as the sound near drowned out everything. "Don't you worry, boy, it's not just you we're gonna be punishing! Got quite a collection of inmates here, now!"

Oh- Oh. It hadn't just been Danny to be taken. Well, then. That changed everything, now didn't it? Looking into Walker's eyes, Danny smirked, "Yeah? I remember what happened to your last collection."

Danny no longer had the luxury of being afraid of what was about to happen to him. If there were others in this mess besides just him, then, well. He was going to stop it. He was going to shut Walker down and stop him. Really, it was the only thing he could do.

He was the hero, after all.


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter Sixty Eight**

::

Perched on the edge of the Fenton Ops Center, Randy watched as the humans of Amity Park gathered in front of Fenton Works and were given a crash course on how to use the technology being passed around. The students who had been through this before or attended the workshops were already suited up with goggles and weapons, all of them looking deadly serious.

The Fenton family were the only ones to match their intensity, Jazz utterly deadly as she instructed the students on how to use the weapons to their full potential, Maddie and Jack doing the same for the others gathered around. Randy couldn't find himself to be surprised by their ferality when their son and brother had been kidnapped, but he  _was_ surprised by just how many people were there - over a hundred and growing.

The ghosts had touched so many lives… Randy remembered what it had been like before the portal had opened. The world had been small and tight and they had fought like wild dogs over scraps. Then the portal had opened and suddenly they had a whole new world to explore- Or, rather, they had an  _old_ world to explore. There was no need to fight like wild dogs among each other when there was more to take, but then they realized there was no need to fight at all. Danny had changed so much by offering the ghosts peace if they could return it.

Now here they were. There were college students there to rescue their favorite mad scientist lecturer, there were parents of the children who played with Youngblood, rock and roll teens who were obviously their to save their pop star idol. Randy saw friends of Kitty and Johnny, hunting lodge members that adored Skulker, gardening clubs that had become taken with Undergrowth's visits, and so,  _so_ many more.

The ghosts had managed to become a part of the town because of Danny acting as a bridge between the worlds. Amity Park had become their home and now Amity Park wanted them  _back_. Randy could feel his own feelings echoed in the air by the dozens upon dozens around them.

There was that need to  _fight_. That need to protect and fight and rescue their family was thrumming under the skin of every human and there… A sharp void of sorrow with a little pinprick of hope that settled beside him.

"We'll get him back, Andy." Randy leaned against Andrew as the man laid his head on his shoulder, quiet and fearful. "I promise you for every mark on Danny we will pay it back to Walker and his a hundred fold." Andrew pressed more against him and the anger rushed out of him on a sigh. The anger, but not the fight.

That was okay, though. That was fine. He would fight, he would always fight, but this time he did it for protection and not anger. He couldn't fight in anger… Not anymore.

"We'll get him back." Andrew's fingers laced with his, Randy gripping the other's hand tightly back as he tried not to get lost in the feelings of the humans below them. "No matter what we'll get our mate back, Randy."

"I know. I just…" Jazz was silent and deadly, Maddie felt as if there was a hole cut out of her, and Jack had no smile in sight. Randy couldn't say he and Andrew were much better, or worse, off. "I…"

"I know." Andrew's grip tightened, Randy nodding to himself. It seemed Andrew was afraid, too. They weren't afraid of whether they would get Danny back. Oh, no, that had never been the worry. No.

They were afraid of  _how_ they would find Danny.

::

"I told you." Unable to bring himself to flinch at the voice, Danny glanced up from where he was curled up against the far wall of his cage, clutching at the sluggishly bleeding wounds in his side. He was really getting sick of the ghost-proof cuffs they kept putting on him. "I  _told you_  to stay out of it."

"Come on, Val." Danny laughed, wincing as he pressed harder down on whatever wound was bleeding. The vines they had waved all around him and his cage kept his thoughts tampered down beyond thinking on how much pain he was in. "Staying out of it was never really my style."

"I warned you about what would happen." Valerie was in her Red Huntress costume, but she was shaking and looking vaguely sick- Oh.

"What's the matter? You can handle seeing a ghost hurt, but not a human?" The flinch she gave showed his words were as good as a punch.

"You're not human." That got a laugh out of him, ragged and broken as it was.

"You're still denying it? You've seen me, you've heard Walker, you've seen  _Danielle_. I'm half-ghost, Val. I'm the same kid you've gone to school with since fourth grade."

"No- No, you're not. That Danny  _died_ and now it's  _you_ who's here." For god's sake did no one ever listen to him?

"Surprise, but I'm not dead! Val, you know me. You remember who I really am, right?" Danny couldn't stop bitterness from creeping into his words. "You know, back when we were friends and dated before you broke my heart-"

" _Shut up_!" Touchy, wasn't she? "Shut up right this second, Phantom, or I swear to god I-"

"You'll  _what_." Danny snapped, the words like ash in his mouth. "Dissect me? Tear me apart? Pluck out my eyes and look inside me to see how I work? Go on, I know you have to be dying to find out just what I am."

Silence. There was no response to that and it only gave Danny the motivation to keep going. "How did you even get here, Val?" She had been terrifying, but she had protected Amity Park as best she could. Here she was now, though, helping to tear it apart. "How did you fall so far?"

"Oh, please." Even her anger sounded scared. "This isn't one of those feel good movies where everything works out alright in the end. This is war and it's us against them-"

"Us and them? Valerie, they're  _ghosts_. Most of them were as human as you or me! They had lives and families and a home and then they got screwed over and then they spent  _years_ being lost and scared of what was about to happen next and these are the people you want to kill? People who have  _already_ gone through death once?"

"That's just it! They're ghosts! They are  _dead_ , Danny.  _You're_  dead. You died and whoever you were is gone and now you're just- Just an  _impression_ -"

"You honestly believe that? That they're all just- Just what? Memories? Val, you became a ghost hunter to keep Amity Park safe when they were still confused and scared. Now that they're a part of Amity Park-"

"They will never be a part of my town." At this point Valerie had stomped forward, hands wrapped tightly around the bars as she glared at him. "They. Are.  _Dead_."

"They still feel things. Are you that  _fucking_ blind?!" Danny dragged himself to his feet and walked forward, startling Valerie into stepping back. "They still  _feel_. Yeah, they're dead, but they still know what it is to feel sorrow. They feel loss and anger and joy and sadness and they still fucking  _love_. They were still fucking  _human_ and  _look what you're doing to us_!"

Walker, after his little introduction speech, had let him know that  _every_ ghost had been captured. Considering what Danny was going through, he didn't doubt all the others were suffering just as badly. "Look at what you're doing to us. You're putting humans in cages and experimenting on them. Why? Why are you doing this to us!

"Are you just trying to find a better way of killing us? Huh? Guess what, Val, you're gonna regret that more than you will ever know." Danny swallowed, trying not to shake from exerstian. He should sit back down, but he couldn't. He couldn't back away from this. "I've seen what murder does to people-"

"I am  _not_ a murderer." Valerie looked as she always did. She looked strong and proud and fierce and determined, but her eyes… She was just like Danny. "I am  _not_." Afraid.

"Not yet." She took another step back. "I've seen it, Valerie. Murder changes people." Andrew, Randy, Spectra… Andrew and Randy had managed to be brought back from that tipping point, but Spectra, on the other hand? It had been too late for her. "It changes you into something you can never recover from. Do you really want that? Because you'll be the one that's no longer human."

Valerie gave him a look full of fear and loathing before she was turning away, Danny stumbling closer and just barely reminding himself to not touch the bars. "Wait- Val, wait, please." She didn't turn back around, but she did pause. "Elle- Danielle. Danielle and Youngblood. What… What did you guys do with them?"

"That freaky child ghost is locked up in a group cage with some of the others. He's been whining and acting annoying as usual." Not hurt, then. "And  _Dani_ escaped when we started capturing everyone. We don't know where she-"

"You let her go." There wasn't a response, but, really, that was all the response that Danny needed. "Val-"

"Oh, don't bother with her, boy. She's already proven her loyalties." Stepping back at the voice, Danny glared as Walker came into view. Creep kept the entire lab Danny was in dimmed and empty - probably to set him on edge even further. "What? You don't like having a whole floor to yourself, hero?"

"Funny thing, I was never a fan of being left on my own, but I'm pretty good at it when I need to be." Danny didn't care if he tore himself apart, but he was  _not_ going to let the ghosts be hurt for much longer. Not if he had anything to say about it. "Why are you here?"

"I thought you might want to know that you'll be out of that cage, soon." What? "We're almost finished with our experiments and when that happens, well. You're the brat of a couple of scientists, right? What happens when the specimens are no longer needed?"

"How many ghosts are here." There had to be more than just the regulars. Even caged and locked away Danny could feel the energy that was soaking into the very air and something like that… The last time he felt a feeling like that was when  _Pariah_ had taken over Amity Park.

"I've been doin' my job for a long time," Walker grinned. The smile had Danny fighting to not step back again. "I asked you a question, boy."

"You're going to murder them-"

"I'm  _disposing_ of them." Behind him, Valerie looked away. Good. He hoped that guilt hurt. "Ain't nothing you can do about it either."

"You want to bet?" Danny was angry- No, angry wasn't the right word. He was  _pissed_. "You really think you're going to win this."

"I already have." Walker spread his hands out wide, grin wild and sick. "Look around you, ghost boy! You're trapped alone in the cage and every other ghost you know is facing execution in a few hours!"

"You are  _nothing_." Danny stalked forward, throwing himself at the bars and clutching onto them, paying no mind to the burn in his palms. "You are fucking  _nothing_. You're a miserable person who died from causing harm and if you don't stop you're going to die the same-"

A blast of energy caught Danny square in the chest and knocked him back down to the floor, gasp escaping him at the pain that swallowed his body. "Boy, you had better learn how to speak to your betters."

"I would if I saw any in front of me." Stumbling to his knees, Danny stared down at the cuffs, forcing a laugh out of himself. "I defeated a king. I defeated  _Pariah_  and you think you can stop me?" He was stronger than he was then, too. "I travelled through time and destroyed a monster that had killed  _millions_." Stronger than even then. "I've beaten people stronger than you will  _ever_ be."

Danny stared down as blue energy wrapped around his hands, fizzling in and out and straining against the cuffs that suppressed his powers. "I promised to protect them." The truce was some half-formed thought Andrew had come up with. Ghosts don't fight humans, Danny won't fight the ghosts, but it had become  _more_.

The truce was about living together with everyone. Help the humans and they'll help you. Keep each other safe and you'll be safe. Show kindness to them and kindness will be shown to you. The truce was a vow of protection and Danny knew himself. He knew what he was. He knew  _his_ obsession.

"I  _promised_." A crack appeared in the edge of one of the cuffs, Danny looking into Walker's eyes that were wide in surprise. "I will protect them."

"You ain't gonna be doin'  _shit_." Walker grabbed a gun from Valerie's belt, shooting Danny once, twice, three-  _Fuck_. It  _hurt_. "Keep an eye on him, girl. If he moves than I want you to shoot him until he stops, you understand that?"

"Yes, sir." In a haze of pain that felt too much to be real, Danny blinked down at the metal floors, and oh. He must have collapsed. "Please don't move."

"Valerie." Danny winced at how ragged his voice sounded, forcing himself to at least look up at Valerie and into her eyes. Heh. What do you know, these glasses hadn't even broken yet. "Get out of here."

"Don't  _move_." Valerie's hands shook as she aimed a gun at him, breathing loud and strained and tears in her eyes. "Please don't move."

"I don't want you getting hurt, Valerie, please-" At least this shot knocked him out instead of causing him more pain.


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter Sixty Nine**

::

"It's been over twenty-four hours since we took the ghosts. Nobody's coming and we're getting rid of them in about an hour. When are you going to give up?"

"Never sounds good. Does never work for you? Because never works for me." Danny near grunted the last word out as he slammed his fist into one of the cage bars again, biting back a scream at the pain that it caused. "What are these  _made_ of?!"

"They're doused in blood blossoms and you have the vines wrapped around everything else. You're not getting out of this so just stop it before I shoot you again!"

"Oh, please, if you wanted to shoot me again you already would have done so. The first time weas for the cameras and you made sure it'd knock me out so I stopped hurting." At the surprised look, Danny snorted. "What? You believe the rumors about me being an idiot, too?"

"I never thought you were an idiot, Danny." Yeah, right. "I didn't! I cheated off of you in science for years." The attempt at the joke was weak, but it still had Danny at least giving a small smile. Valerie returned it, eyes misting over again. "How'd it turn out like this?"

"That's a long story." One he didn't have  _time_ \- Time. "You captured  _all_ the ghosts?" Valerie startled, giving him a slow nod.

"Well- Yeah. Except for the tiny Dani, yeah, we got them all. Way more than I thought." The clans, then. They had stolen the clans and Danny couldn't  _wait_ for them to learn  _that_ mistake.

"Have you seen a ghost with a purple cloak? Blue skin, red eyes, a scar over one eye and a clock in his chest? One of those old grandfather clocks. He sometimes changes his appearence from, like, kid to adult to grandparent, stuff like that?"

"I- That's really specific." Giving her a sharp look, Danny frowned as Valerie immediately shook her head. "No, we haven't seen anyone like that."

"Anyone with just white hair and blue skin?"

"You mean besides you?"

"Hey, my skin isn't blue." Just to make sure, Danny glanced to his skin, pleased when it wasn't. "No one like that with red eyes, though?" At the shake of her head, Danny smirked. "You didn't get all the ghosts."

"For the last time, yes, we did! We even got Vlad- You know, the guy who gave me my weapons and lied to me about what he was?"

"He's gotten better." Wincing at the look, Danny gave a nod and, yeah, he'd give her that one. "I know it sounds lame, Val, but he's changed.  _All_ the ghosts have changed. What you're doing would be like killing the other people who live in Amity Park!"

"No, Danny, it's really not." Why was she so  _stubborn_. Punching at the bars again, Danny growled and he needed  _out of here_. If Clockwork wasn't here yet and he hadn't been seen then the Observants were forcing him to stay out of it. Clockwork served an oath, too, and to break it probably wouldn't mean good things. "Give it up, already! You're tearing yourself apart!"

"If I see them hurt then  _that_ will tear me apart!" He needed to get out of here, because if they really meant all the ghosts then that would mean  _them_ , too. "How can you do this when you've seen just how human they are!"

"Because I've seen how human they  _aren't_! Do you think I don't remember what you all are capable of! I don't care if you're 'human,' you have powers that could kill us in seconds! What's to stop you from using that on us!"

"What's stopping you from pulling that trigger on me?" Danny watched as the gun shook in her hands again. "One thing wrong with your theory. If I've been a ghost for years, then why did I let Dash keep beating me up?"

"I…" Valerie closed her mouth, looking as if the thought had just occurred to her. "You could have beat him up yourself."

"And I didn't." Danny was running out of time. He could feel it. "Valerie,  _please_. You know this isn't the right thing to do. You've always done your best, so why can't you see that this is all  _wrong_. For god's sake you're following the orders of a ghost right now!"

"I- No, I'm just- I'm just doing what I think is best." She didn't believe in it, though. She couldn't if she let Elle get away. "The ghosts hurt you for years. Why are you trying so hard to save them?"

"Because I know what it's like to be scared and alone. I won't let anyone else feel that way when I can stop them. Do you… Do you know why I became Danny Phantom? Now how, but  _why_?"

"You have an obsession, obviously. Going around acting like a hero and pretending you're saving the day." She didn't even believe her own words, anymore. "Why did you do it. If what you're telling me is true and you're still Danny, then why did you put yourself through that?"

"Because I could fight back." Danny felt his power thrumming under his skin, just out of reach and so, so  _close_. "I got these powers for a reason." Clockwork had made sure he kept his life and given him these powers because he  _saw_ something in him. "Sometimes bad things happen and you can't stop them. When you have a way to stop them and you don't fight back, then the bad things happen because of you."

"Danny-" The entire world shook and for a second Danny thought it was some new torture Walker had come up with. Then he saw Valerie's surprise. "What the fuck-" Whatever light was in the lab flicked off and left them in completely darkness, Danny blinking as Valerie shined a flashlight around- Ah, her phone. "What did you do!"

"I know I'm good, but not I'm  _that_ good." Power outage? Maybe they had failed in setting up whatever was meant to kill the ghosts. Good, that would- Wait. Danny knew this energy. He knew this energy so well and… "You idiots."

"What?" Valerie's gaze snapped over to him, Danny only letting his smile grow into a laugh as it felt like the entire  _building_ shook. "What are you doing!"

"You guys are  _idiots_. You didn't take them, first?" Andrew and Randy. They hadn't been captured. "Walker didn't notice that you guys didn't have them?" She still didn't get it. "Andrew and Randy. The Priest of Death and White Fang. The Ghostwriter and the Mercenary. The most goddamn powerful ghosts in the entire Ghost Zone besides a few others."

"What are you talking about! We took every ghost there was!" Not if they hadn't found them. It had been night, though, and they had to have known where Vidya was, but- Oh. But maybe not  _Liz_.

"What do you know, guess we are pretty lucky." A portion of the ceiling fell down, Valerie ducking and scrambling out of the way. The sounds of fighting filled the room, Danny laughing once again.

"No- Two ghosts can't do this much damage. The entire building is meant to ward off ghosts!" She had a point, so- Danny tilted his head, frowning as he heard screams from people that sounded familiar. Humans. There were humans here and there was a lot more than just the agents up there. "The citizens."

"I told you. The ghosts are a part of Amity Park, too." To be fair to Valerie, Danny was just as surprised. He knew the ghosts had friends, but it sounded like half the  _town_ was up there and fighting. Amity Park really was becoming a part of the Ghost Zone, or at least they were becoming a ghostly town.

"No… No, they're ghosts. Why would they fight back so much- They're  _ghosts_. They're dangerous! People have almost died-"

"They're family, now. Whatever they were before is gone." The ghosts were no longer 'ghosts.' They had been humans even then, just lost. They weren't lost anymore. "Valerie,  _please_ , this may be your last chance."

"To what? Bow my head, say I'm sorry, and be welcomed back with open arms? I don't think so." Picking the gun back up from where she had dropped it, Valerie shined the light in his eyes with one hand and aimed the gun at him with the other. "Life isn't like the movies, Danny."

"You're calling me Danny." Seeing her ready to yell, Danny quickly shook his head. "Not Phantom. You're not calling me Phantom, but  _Danny_. Please, Val, I know you're still you. You were just trying to help."

"I was protecting them." Valerie's hand stayed steady this time, but her voice shook. "I lost everything, Danny, and I thought I should stop, but then I saw how much danger the  _other_ ghosts could cause. I was  _protecting them_."

"And you did great. You saved a bunch of people, Valerie, you were amazing, but you don't have to protect them from ghosts like the ones upstairs. You should be protecting them from ghosts like  _Walker_. He wants to kill his own kind, doesn't that tell you anything?"

"I just wanted to protect people and make things right." God, Valerie thought she was all alone, but Danny knew that feeling so well. "I didn't want it to be like this."

"It doesn't have to be. You don't have to let it be like this! Help me and we'll get out of here. I'll help you explain, we can fix things,  _you_ can fix things. We can make it right." Danny wiggled his arm through the bars, wincing even as he smiled and held his hand out. "It's not too late, Val."

"I…" The gun slowly lowered, Valerie's finger resting on the safeguard rather than the trigger. "Danny-" A blast of green light lit up the room and Danny's eyes widened as Valerie screamed and was blasted back across the room.

"Valerie!" Snapping his gaze to Walker, Danny growled as he tried to reach for his powers. "You  _monster_."

"Ever take a look in the mirror, boy?" Walker threw something at the cage, Danny seeing a glint of red and metal before his cage door opened almost anticlimactically. Danny didn't even get to wonder about it before Walker was reaching in and dragging him out, throwing him to the floor and making him scream as he landed on one of his wounds. "You're coming with me."

"What's- What's the matter? Afraid of losing." A kick to his stomach had him near blacking out, Danny hanging on through sheer will as he glared up at Walker. "It's all come crashing down, hasn't it?"

"Like I said, it's hard to find good help. I ask for one simple thing. Capture  _all_ the ghosts." Through the darkness, Danny just barely saw Walker reach for something before a shot was fired from an ecto-pistol, Danny biting his tongue hard enough to bleed as the shot was fired into his leg. "Apparently we have different definitions of the word all."

"Aw, two ghosts have you running scared?" The look that flicked over Walker's face was  _terrified_. "Unless it wasn't just them who showed up." The only ghost that could cause fear like  _that_ in Walker… "He didn't need to see you to know what you did."

"Those Observants were right when they called him trouble." Another shot hit his other leg, Danny biting off a scream and no.  _No_. He would  _not_ give Walker that pleasure. "What's the matter, ghost boy, no more screams?"

"If you're going to kill me then just  _do it_." Except Walker had shot at his legs? Why would- Oh, no.

"If I'm going down then I'm going to make sure you never cause trouble again." Walker stepped forward and kicked over Valerie's phone, the light shining in the room and showing a thick, black stick in Walker's hand- Vine. It was one of the vines. "Made and reinforced it myself. I'd say this isn't gonna hurt, but I was never in the habit of lying."

"You're going to lose." Danny was going to die. The fighting was still going on upstairs, it was pitch black, and no one was going to find him in time. Danny was going to die. "And you're forgetting I'm half-ghost. I can come back-"

"From something that's meant to destroy your core, too?" He… "Far as I can recall, there's only three of you lab rats. How do you know what happens next?"

Remember the burns on Andrew's hand that were still there, Danny only stared and he was going to die, wasn't he? Yelping as Walker grabbed his shirt and pulled him up, Danny stared as the vine was raised high and all he could think was that he'd never see his family again. He was going to  _die_ -

The vine came down and pierced flesh and hit bone, Danny staring with wide eyes at the pure red blood that dripped down onto the phone's light. The pure  _red_ blood that dripped down  _dark_ skin.

Valerie stood beside him, arm outstretched and lip torn between her teeth as she glared at Walker with tears in her eyes, "I won't let you kill my friend."

"Why you little traitor." Walker ripped the vine out, Valerie screaming and Danny rushing to catch her to try and stop the bleeding. "Fine, I'll take you both down-"

"No, Elias, you won't." A blast of pure energy sent Walker across the room, Danny staring as blue auras covered Valerie and Danny both and lifted them off the ground, the same energy wrapped around Valerie's arm and stopping the bleeding as well. "You, little Phantom, find far too much trouble."

"Hey," Danny laughed weakly, clutching at the gloved hand that brushed his hair back, a purple cloak settling around his shoulders. "Trouble finds me."

"Clockwork!" The three looked to where Walker stood, uncaring of the ceiling that began to come crashing down around them, ghosts speeding in and Danny marveling as their auras lit the dark. "This is none of your business."

"You made it my business when you took him. As well, you made it theirs." A blast of dual energy - green and red - fired into Walker's back and sent him flying to the other side of the room, Danny amused as he thought of that old game when you bounced a ball off of walls. "Vladimir, Elle."

"That's for hurting my cousin, you jackass!" Elle flew over to Danny's side quick as a flash, biting her lip as she hugged him close. "Idiot."

"Thanks for the concern," Danny laughed, wincing at the hug but staying quiet. "I'd hug you, too, but my hands are kind of tied."

"I believe I can solve that." Vlad stood in front of him, taking his gloves off carefully and sparing Valerie hardly a glance. "Hello, Ms. Grey."

"Chill, Dad, I told you, she let me go." Ah, sounded like an argument they had earlier. They really were getting the hang of the whole family thing. "Do you have a key or something?"

"Or something," Vlad mused, setting his hands on the cuffs, Danny raising an eyebrow as red energy- Wasn't Vlad's energy pink? "And I rather believe I'll leave the 'chilling' to Daniel." Groaning along with Elle, the sound changed to a gasp as the metal began  _melting_ off his wrists. "Do you really think I never took it easy on you?"

"Holy shit, I'm so glad I never pissed you off." Ignoring the complaint about his language, Danny sighed in  _relief_ as white rings wrapped around him, his own energy letting him float in the air instead of Clockworks. " _Finally_."

"No-  _No_! I will  _not_ let you defeat me!" Turning to see Walker standing up with his energy in his hands, Danny held his arm out to stop Vlad and Elle from moving forward.

"Let me take care of this." He felt more than saw Andrew and Randy land on either side of him, Danny grinning wild and fierce as he let his powers build. "Get behind me."

"I will take you down if it's the last thing I do, Phantom!" Huh, he finally learned his name, did he?

"I told you, Walker. I made a promise." Sucking in a breath, Danny braced himself before releasing every scrap of power he had and  _screaming_.

Just as he promised himself, he brought it all crashing down.


	70. Chapter 70

We're coming to the end, my dears. The next few chapters will tie up this story and a final edit will be done to fix up plot holes, take out unused pieces, and generally just polish it all up. You know what the greatest prank I've pulled on April Fool's today? Uploading ten chapters and having them all be real.

* * *

**Chapter Seventy**

::

Danny was going to admit that using all his energy up at once like that hadn't been the best idea since he passed out right after, but he got to wake up in Andrew's arms and watch as someone, probably Tucker and his family, got the lights back up and running. Ghosts were quickly being taken care of, the machines were being taken care of, Randy was patching up Valerie, and everyone he loved was close by.

"Yes, Danny, everyone's okay," Andrew reassured him - again - and held him even closer. "Every ghost and clan is accounted for. The agents that are alive fled, though, and we didn't find any trace of Walker."

"Hopefully that means he died," Elle mumbled, trying not to grin as Vlad fawned over her and carried her around on his back, micromanaging everything even more than Maddie did. "Valerie? You okay?"

Valerie didn't respond beyond a nod, utterly quiet as Randy wrapped the bandage around her arm, speaking quietly, "You shouldn't have any negative side effects from the vine besides the obvious wound. With your great shape, it should all heal within a few weeks." Randy tied it off, patting at Valerie's arm. "Thank you." There hadn't been time to say much, but Danny made sure they knew how she got that wound.

"You shouldn't thank me." Valerie's voice was rough and worn, Danny sighing as he looked away from the tears streaming down her cheeks. They both looked up from where they were sitting on the ground when Elle moved to stand in front of Valerie.

Danny almost wanted to stop her from whatever she was about to do before Elle dropped to her knees, watching as Valerie looked away in what was no doubt shame. Instead of what he expected, Elle darted forward and pulled Valerie into a hug, holding onto her tightly. "Thanks for letting me go and saving Danny."

That, it seemed, was the last thing needed to make Valerie well and truly break, Danny smiling sadly as she clung onto Elle just as tightly. She would be alright, but right now… Sometimes crying was needed.

Randy carefully moved away from the two to sit beside Andrew, Danny startled when he was pulled into Randy's arms and kissed absolutely senseless. Startled, but definitely sure as hell not arguing. "How apt your name is," Andrew muttered, Randy parting from Danny with a choked laugh which, wait, what?

"How does- No, you know what, nevermind, C'mere, you jealous idiot." Danny grabbed Andrew's shirt and pulling him over, grinning when the man kissed him at once. "God, you have no idea how much I missed you two."

"I think we can guess." Randy's arms locked around him tight, Andrew resting their foreheads together and giving a shaky sigh. "You're grounded and never allowed to leave our side again."

"For forever?" The arms tightened and Danny gave a quiet laugh. "I think I'll be okay with that." After everything, being by their side for a while sounded great. "Guess everyone knows who I am by now, huh?"

"Those who don't are gonna figure it out quick enough," Randy said, kissing at the back of Danny's head. "It'll be okay."

"Yeah. Yeah, I think it will." Kissing Andrew again, Danny squirmed out of Randy's grip and floated up into the air. "I need to talk to Clockwork."

"Just stay in our sight, please." Laughing, Danny pushed Andrew over into Randy's lap, enjoying Andrew's swearing and Randy's startled yelp as Danny quickly flew up to where Clockwork was talking to Vlad a dozen feet away.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" Vlad asked, raising an eyebrow as Danny moved to hang off of Clockwork's shoulder, grinning when Clockwork adjusted so he was more secure. "Why do I bother? I'll see it done, Clockwork."

"Thank you, Vladimir." Watching Vlad nod and fly up to the second floor, Danny knocked his head against Clockwork's. "A simple question goes a long way, you know." Squirming, Danny tapped his hand against Clockwork's chest. "I'm having him deliver the news to the Observants on Randall's behalf."

"Shouldn't you do it? I mean, they're probably going to want to yell at you over all this." At the silence, Danny frowned, startling when something came into view. "Oh, my glasses."

Dropping down, Danny didn't even touch the floor before Clockwork's energy was wrapping around him, Danny not minding as he put his glasses on and oh, that was so much better. No wonder everything had been a little blurry- Ah, Clockwork had a disappointed look on his face. "Please do remember you were shot in both legs."

"Oh, right." Ah, Clockwork's expressions were always so fun. Snuggling down in the cloak he was still wearing and considering keeping forever, Danny grinned. "So, come on, why don't you go bother the floating eyeballs?"

"I doubt they'll be very happy to see me, at the moment, considering what I've done." Oh, big whoop, Clockwork broke the rules again. He always did!

"So they'll yell at you, give you a few lectures, and be extra annoying for a few years. I'm sure they'll-"

"Daniel." Clockwork wasn't smiling. "Daniel, my powers- My powers work differently. A true timekeeper's powers work differently than what you can do."

"I- Can they take your powers away?" Danny watched as Clockwork pressed a hand over his shirt- His shirt. His  _blank_ shirt. "Your clock…"

"It's a symbol. Once you take the Oath of Time you are granted the symbol and your mastery over time. The oath is to protect the greater good and never risk the life of the one for the life of the many. It repeats quite often, of course, but that is the general-"

"Clockwork." Danny swallowed, reaching a hand out before dropping it. "Clockwork, what did you do?" The life of the one… Oh, no.

"I am no longer Master of Time." Clockwork smiled, the expression full of… Jeez, Danny didn't even know. He saw heartbreak, but Clockwork also looked  _happy_. "I can no longer control time, I can stop time no longer than a few minutes, I cannot see what the future holds, and I'm just as ordinary as any other ghost."

"You gave up everything for… For me?" The energy floated him closer and Danny tried not to cry at the hug he was pulled into. "You'll never be as powerful as you were, will you?"

"No, and I find that I'm rather thankful for that." The clock was gone and looking closer Clockwork  _himself_ looked more human, white hair falling gently over his face with red eyes- Red eyes that had  _pupils_. "I was just a placeholder for something to come."

"Wha- Placeholder?" Brimming with questions, Danny frowned as his mouth was covered. Moving the hand, Danny huffed. "Let me guess. I'll find everything out in time." The last two words were said by both of them at the same time, Danny giving a reluctant smile. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Daniel, I'm going to be just fine. Besides, a relationship is rather poor when there's such a large power imbalance."

"Oh, please, Jazz had you beat even then." The dopey smile told Danny way too much. "Alright, enjoy your sappy cliche mate things, I'm going back to Andrew and Randy and wow. I'm a hypocrite."

"Yes, you are, but we love you anyways." Delighting in the hug, Danny blinked as he was suddenly in Randy's lap and oh, yeah, Clockwork was good at teleportation, too.

"You're so bad for my heart." Randy was clutching at his chest and breathing deeply, Danny choking on a laugh as he rubbed the back of the man's neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Doing alright?"

"Better. Valerie?" Following the nod to where Valerie was talking quietly with Elle, Danny smiled and cleared his throat, trying not to laugh at the startled expressions on both their faces. "Val, you asked me how all this happened. How it got this way. I told you it was a long story. You… You wanna hear it?"

The nod was enough, Danny smiling and leaning back into Randy's chest. "Well, it's a long story, but it's about a kid who was trying to help. He was kind of a brat and kind of cocky, but his heart was in the right place. He wanted to help, and so he pressed a button."

Danny told her everything. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz came and settled by their sides as he told the story and it was all the secrets pouring out. The past three years and everything that had happened since Danny had stepped into the portal on that day.

"And you know the story from there, I think." Danny leaned back with an exhausted sigh and it must have been hours they were talking because it was quieter in the building and much more calm. "I mean, there's probably-"

"No more." Looking back to Valerie, Danny's eyes widened at her look. "No. More." A half forgotten dream tumbled through his head, Danny sitting up as Valerie shook her head. "I'm going to fix this- Danny, please, you have to believe me just one time, but I'm going to  _fix this_."

It wasn't all of them in that moment. It was Danny and Valerie and an understanding that only the two of them would understand. Danny had his friends, but he knew what was it to fight alone and patch up horrible wounds in the dead of night and so, it seemed, did Valerie. "Val…"

"I started fighting for revenge because I was a stupid kid in over her head, but then it changed to  _justice_. I fought because others were being hurt and those who were hurt deserved justice for what was done to them." Justice, not protection. Different, but he understood. "That's what I'm going to do, now."

"You think Walker is still alive." Valerie nodded, and Danny gave one of his own. "I do, too." Walker wasn't weak and they both knew that.

"I can't protect you, but I can get you justice for what he's done to you." Valerie swallowed, eyes misting over again. "You won't be able to forgive me, but I can make it at least a bit better. I'll get him and I'll fix this, I  _promise_ -"

Sliding out of Randy's lap, Danny crawled forward and clasped Valerie's hand tightly, leaning their foreheads together and looking her in the eyes, "You won't fight this alone."

"Danny. Danny, I can't let you take this fight from me." Typical Valerie. Always so selfish. Well, Danny couldn't say that he wasn't the same.

"Then think of it as a substitution." Because this was his fight, too, and he couldn't let her fight him alone. "You can fight, but I'm going to be right by your side."

"No more running away from it all, huh?" Valerie laughed even as more tears slipped past, Danny wrapping her up in a hug. For as much as they were bruised and banged up, they paid none of their injuries any mind and just held on tight. "No more secrets."

"Yeah." All of Amity Park would know everything, now. "The time for secrets is over."

::

The sun was starting to rise by the time Danny finally made it home and into bed, already half-asleep even as Randy kept fussing and fixing up the dressings on his wounds. As much as he wanted to sleep, there were way too many people in his room and Danny had sort of become the leader of this mess. He hated that he loved it.

"Alright, we don't know if Walker is alive for sure, but we can probably bet that he is, so who's ready to take orders from an idiot kid." Tucker and Elle both raised their hands, Sam and Vlad lowering them respectively. "Ouch."

"Just tell us what you need, kiddo!" Yeah, his dad was the best. "As long as you stay in bed and rest for the next one- Two weeks! Two weeks." And Maddie and Vlad were terrifying when it came to glaring.

"Okay, first we need to soothe the Observants' egos. Vlad, Clockwork, think you can do that?" Danny mostly looked at Clockwork, knowing how hard it was going to be to go back to them.

"I believe we can figure out something." Clockwork smiled and Danny felt Randy relax slightly and good. That meant Clockwork wasn't as afraid. "Rest well." With that, Clockwork, Vlad, and the cloak was gone.

"Man, I really liked that cloak," Danny mumbled, ignoring the comments and laughter and focusing. "Okay- Okay, we need to make sure the ghosts are all okay."

"Me and Val got it!" Elle was changing and picking up a yelling Valerie in a second, flying out of the room with a cackle.

"I like her more and more," Sam said with a grin. "She's got spirit." A beat of silence and Danny  _cracked_ , laughing even as Tucker and Jazz groaned loud enough to near drown him out.

"The humans of Amity Park need just as much reassurance after all of this," Andrew interrupted, trying to ignore them. "Tucker, Sam?"

"Consider us on it, GW." The two were heading out at once, Tucker already sending out calls and texts.

"Maddie, Jack, do you think you can go through the information we got from those databases? I don't want any nasty surprises." At Randy's words, Jack was beaming as he headed for the stairs at once, Maddie sighing and shaking her head.

"What do you want me to do, baby bro?" Jazz, who had been hovering by his bedside in her usual manner, jumped when Danny slapped her arm.

"Go wait at Citadel, duh. Clockwork's gonna need  _someone_ to talk to when all the Observant mess gets settled out."

"You're so nasty when you don't get your sleep." Jazz pinched his cheeks and Danny whined, trying not to laugh and grinning wide when Jazz hugged him close. "I'm glad you're alright, baby brother."

"Hey, it's gonna take more than a crazy ghost to take me out." The hug tightened, Danny returning it just as much. "Randy?"

"Be right back." Randy gently took Jazz's hand, giving her a smile. "If it helps you can count to three and tap your shoes together."

"Yeah, yeah, let's go, Toto." Randy laughed as he teleported them away, Danny looking up when Maddie moved to smooth his hair down.

"I won't ask if you're alright, but tell me you'll get better."

"I'll be okay, Mom. I always am." That… That was the best Danny could give, but it seemed to be enough as Maddie managed a bit of a smile. "I mean, ghost healing. How cool is that?"

"Speaking of. Andrew, dear, can you make sure Randy takes you all home when he gets back? Danny will heal better in the Ghost Zone and he needs quite a bit of sleep, at this point. He always sleeps better with you."

"Oh, ah, yes, Mrs. Fenton." Andrew looked ready to salute, Danny trying not to laugh as Maddie gave a small pat to his cheek before leaving the room. "She's terrifying."

"Yeah, she is." Danny loved her. Sighing and sitting up, Danny didn't even get a foot on the floor before Randy was scooping him up, energy still swirling around him from his teleport. "Ghost Zone. Mom orders."

"Well, I'm never one to argue with a mother." Closing his eyes and opening them after a few seconds, Danny saw he was in the master bed at Vidya and would have collapsed backwards if not for Randy laying him down gently. "It's okay. Just us."

No, no, no, Randy couldn't do that, because if Randy did that then Danny would have to stop smiling and pretending he was okay and- The covers were pulled over his face and there was warmth on either side of him, complete darkness wrapped around him as two hands settled over his chest.

"Break all you need to, mon cher. We'll put you back together." Just as he had in France, Danny let himself completely break down, knowing the two would keep him safe. It wasn't okay- God, he wasn't okay by a fucking  _longshot_ , but he was going to be.

Just one night of breaking down and suffering from what had happened to him, to Valerie, to the ghosts, to Clockwork- One night of crying over his mistakes and his lost secrets. And if he needed more than one night? Well, these two would be here for him. Of that, he was certain. For now, though…

Everyone was safe. Everyone was safe, Walker couldn't hurt them anymore, and Danny was safe and hidden away with the two people who knew him better than he knew himself.

It was going to be okay.


	71. Chapter 71

Final notes at the end. Just a bit longer, mes chers.

* * *

**Chapter Seventy One**

::

Feeling someone moving beside him, Danny yawned wide enough to crack his jaw, eyes just barely cracked open and looking to whoever was shifting to wrap an arm around him- Black hair. Andrew. Okay. Awesome. Danny would figure out why seeing Andrew made him so happy later- Oh. Right.

"This might be the only time I agree with Andy, but it's too early." Shivering as Randy kissed at his neck, Danny blinked over at him. "Go back to sleep."

"Well, I was  _going_ to until you said something." Because speaking meant people were awake and people being awake meant there were things to  _do_ and after recently there was  _so much_ he needed to do and-

Randy's groaning snapped Danny out of his thoughts, the teen looking down to see Randy was sitting up. "Alright. I suppose if we have to be up then I'll check your wounds."

"I'm fine, the speed healing kicked in sometime last night, I think." Of course, Danny knew that nothing he could say would reassure Randy until the man saw the the wounds himself. "Ghost Zone, and all that."

"You also were in contact with those vines," Randy pointed out, Danny sinking down because, yeah, shit, he had forgotten about the vines. "Honestly."

Randy flew off the bed and lit the candles around the room, grumbling about Andrew under his breath as he searched for the first aid kit- Actually, why  _did_ Andrew have so many candles if he was afraid of fire? Aesthetic? No, probably because there was no electricity- But then how did the refrigerator work… And the laptops and computers and tv- It  _was_ for aesthetic.

"He  _is_ a tortured poet." There was a sound like a  _snerk_ , Danny looking to where Randy was back on the bed in front of him. "Candles."

"Yeah. Candles." Randy still looked to be fighting off laughter as he phased Danny's clothes away, checking and changing bandages at once. "Most of it looks to have healed, but those burns will be there for a while. We're lucky you weren't there very long."

"We're lucky Valerie  _was_ there." Danny hoped she was doing okay because something like that without any ghost powers to help… That had to have  _hurt_.

"You'll both be okay." Randy pressed a kiss to inside of Danny's thigh, right over the bandages from where he had been shot. Danny kind of was surprised by how much he hated the bandages in that moment. "Like I said, you're healing well."

With  _that_ , Randy proceeded to kiss every single bruise, scar, and wound Danny had, which would have been fine he wasn't being so soft and gentle and  _serious_ about it all. As it stood, Danny was biting his lip and shivering at each little touch and kiss, just barely holding onto his sanity.

"Is- Is that really necessary?" A kiss to the side of his neck where he didn't even  _remember_ getting hurt had Danny's question answered for him. "'S no marks there."

"Is there not?" Yeah, yeah, be innocent, it wasn't- Danny's thoughts were roughly cut off as teeth sank into his skin sharp and quick, Danny curling around Randy's shoulders and hiding any noises with a heavy pant and  _jesus_. "I think I see a mark."

"You bastard." The broad sweep of a tongue over the bite marks had Danny quieting with a soft whimper. "You're so mean. Why are you so mean? That's  _mean_ , Randy."

"You don't seem to mind," Randy laughed, high and bright and  _relieved_  as he cupped Danny's cheeks, licking at his own lips as he watched Danny with blown pupils. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"I bit my lip pretty hard?" Danny tried, delighted when he was jerked into a deep, passionate kiss that had him relaxing into a puddle at once. "Tongue, too. Definitely bit my tongue."

Andrew seemed to stir beside them just before anything else could happen, Danny and Randy pulling back before sharing a grin and oh, yes. It was going to be a good morning.

::

"There's going to be a hell of an aftermath," Danny mused, kicking his feet against the counter as he tasted whatever concoction Randy fed to him. "The ghosts, yeah, but also the town realizing what they're becoming."

"It's going to take a while for them to realize what happened," Andrew sighed, pacing the length of the kitchen. "Less so for the ghosts, I believe."

"Half of them have probably already figured out something's going on." Randy flipped something on the skillet before cutting into it and sticking a bite into Danny's mouth. "We should check on them to make sure they're okay for now, though."

"I-" Danny was cut off with another bite of food, glaring at Randy as Randy glared back. Hmph. He couldn't feed him forever.

" _You_ are going to stay right here and rest until you heal some more. Your speed healing doesn't fix everything overnight."

"That's not fair-" This time it was some french toast that was fed to him, Danny trying to complain through the syrup that now coated his mouth. It was harder than he thought considering it was  _so good_ and Randy was feeding him more bites.

"Just consider staying here until we get back?" Andrew asked softly, stopping in his pacing to stand by Danny and brush his hair back. "Please?"

Making sure Randy wasn't about to shove anymore food down him, Danny gave a slow nod. "Yeah… Yeah, alright. I'll consider it."

An hour later and Danny was grinning to himself as he flew out of Vidya and, really, he  _had_ considered staying home until the two got back. Then he thought better of it. Besides, he was mostly just popping in from lair to lair to make sure everyone was back and doing okay.

It seemed most of them really  _were_ okay. Johnny, Kitty, Ember, and Youngblood were all tucked away behind Ember's door, Youngblood much more subdued than usual, but overall he was okay. The younger ones like the teens were doing fine and the clans were rathe rwell off when Danny managed to track one or two of them down - they were the most well-adjusted ghosts in this place, honestly.

It was the 'troublemakers' like Skulker and Technus that had gotten the brunt of Section 13's anger. Walker remembered the trouble they caused well, it seemed.

"Jeez, and I thought I was hard on your suits." The suit Skulker typically used was near  _destroyed_ , Technus grumbling to himself with an irate little Skulker hopping around on his shoulders and complaining.

"At least  _you_ fight fair," Skulker complained, Danny trying so, so,  _so_ hard to not laugh at the higher pitched voice. He managed, but just barely. "Ripping my suit apart was the first thing they did."

"They then tried to step on him." Bless Technus and his ability to reveal embarrassing information on a person. "Not to worry, though, ghost child, he was well protected in my pocket after that!"

"I'm sure he was," Danny nodded, quite seriously, and grinned as Skulker honest to god  _pouted_. This was great. Honestly, this was one of the best days ever. Although remembering the cause of it all had Danny's smile falling. "Seriously, though, are you two okay?"

"A little banged and bruised, but nothing we haven't experienced before!" Technus shouted cheerily, doing something to the suit that caused it to twitch before the arm fell off. "Hm."

"We've been through Walker's tender care before," Skulker waved off, glaring at the arm as it jerked around like a fish out of water. "It's not supposed to do that."

"I am quite aware of what my technology is and is not supposed to do, Richard!" There was a bout of silence, Danny slowly scrunching up his nose and staring at Skulker, and, what?

"What," Skulker snapped, glaring even more. "Never met someone who's name was Richard!" Skulker's name… It was Richard.

"I'm… N- No, sorry, I'm okay." Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh. "It's okay."

"It's not like this idiot should be going around throwing out names! Isn't that right,  _Nicolai_." Burying his face in his hands, Danny held in laughter as the two fought and bickered and acted so much like Danny and Tucker during a 'fight.' It was reassuring to know that things were still okay.

"Alright, alright, I just wanted to check on you guys and make sure you were alright after everything." That got him dual looks of 'not impressed.' "What?"

" _We_ weren't tortured for the entire time we were there," Skulker said, raising his eyebrows- Brow- Did- Oh, god, Danny hoped the suit got fixed soon. "Do those idiot mates of yours even know you're here?"

"Probably." Maybe. "You'll be going back to Amity Park, then, or are you going to stay here a while?"

"We'll be back by week's end," Technus waved off, calmly flying away from the suit and easily picking up Danny, flying him a few feet away. Danny was as confused as Skulker looked.

"Uh, Technus? Why-" The suit burst into a shower of cackling sparks before it was steadily on fire, Danny blinking and slowly nodding. "Thanks."

"Maybe longer than a week," Skulker muttered. "We'll be back in Amity, whelp, don't you worry. I have new weapons to test and one of those idiots at the lodge owes me a new gun."

"Good- I'm glad. We'll see you there." Danny flashed them a grin before heading out of the lair, vaguely hearing something explode before the two were screaming, and, yeah. He could see a lot of his and Tucker's behavior in those two.

Thinking of, he should probably check in with the human side of things.

A quick stop by Vidya to make sure he hadn't been discovered - and maybe grab some left over sweets - and Danny was flying back to the portal, poking his head in before the rest of him followed and oh, Jack and Vlad were at the consoles. Darting over to hover over their shoulders, Danny frowned at the data that scrolled across the screens.

"That can't be right." The ectoplasmic concentrations surely couldn't be that high in Amity Park, especially not so far from the portal. "Are these recent- Whoa, hey, you okay?" While Jack looked slightly startled, Vlad was bent double and clutching at his chest.

"Don't worry about him, Danny-boy, Vladdie never could stand surprises. Back in college, he couldn't make it through a horror movie without holding onto one of us!"

"Okay, one, I didn't need to know that." Danny flew up to hang off of Jack's shoulders, amused at how his dad didn't even  _move_. "Two, that's the greatest thing I've ever heard." Vlad, the half-ghost, afraid of scary things.

"This entire family is against me." Mm, well, yeah. "Yes, these are the recent readings. They were taken by Section 13, but we've compared them to our own, and, well. Let's just say the high amounts of concentration are having some untold side effects."

"Untold side effects such as what?" In response, Vlad picked up a beaker and threw it across the lab, Danny raising an eyebrow. "You're cleaning that up."

"Mm." There was no sound of breaking glass. Gaze snapping to the beaker, Danny's eyes widened as he saw the beaker was falling, but  _slowly_. It was drifting to the ground more than anything like something might… Like something might in the Ghost Zone. "The effects lessen the further away from the epicenter, of course."

"And let me guess where the epicenter is." All three looked towards the open portal that filled the lab with soft green light. "How wide spread?"

"The entire town so far as we can tell," Vlad sighed, crossing his arms. The motion startled Danny into noticing that Vlad was wearing a lab coat. He really was falling back into the who scientist thing, wasn't he? "It's possible these effects were started by the Pariah Dark fiasco."

"The one you caused, you mean," Danny pointed out, tugging and poking at Vlad's lab coat. The man swatted him off, Danny not fighting as Jack held him like a normal person might a puppy. "You think Amity Park being in the Ghost Zone caused this?"

"Helped it along at the very least." Vlad flicked at his forehead, Danny whining loudly through a grin. "Nothing  _bad_ is happening, but physics are becoming more similar to Ghost Zone properties and ghosts will likely be able to stay here for longer periods of time."

"Clockwork was right about this place becoming a ghost town," Danny mumbled, shaking his head at Vlad's look. "Ask Elle, I told her about it a while ago. Right now I need-"

"To be resting." Ah. Shit. "I'm not certain, but I believe we went over that this morning before we left."

Curling his tail and trying to look as cute as possible, Danny looked up and immediately yelped as he was phased free of Jack's arms and instead brought into Randy's, the man looking as unimpressed as Andrew. "Don't even try it, you little gremlin."

"Excuse me, Elle is the little gremlin here. I'm a normal sized gremlin, at the very least." Whining as he was dragged towards the Ghost Zone, Danny threw a halfhearted wave towards Vlad and Jack. "See you guys later!"

"We asked one thing of you, mon cher,  _one thing_." Andrew was already working himself up into a dramatic fit, Randy trying to look stern and failing and hitting wildly amused.

"Technically, if we're being technical, see, you  _technically_ said that I should  _consider_ staying at Vidya until you got back. And I did. For an hour. You should be more careful about that in the future."

"You're terrible," Randy snorted, hugging Danny closer and kissing at his cheek. "I figured you would check on the ghosts, but why were you in Fenton Works?"

"Thought I'd check on everyone else. I didn't get to since  _someone_ kidnapped me-"

"I told you, at your age it's abduction, and only when you mother stops texting me about your horrible sleeping habits."

"You have her number? Since when?" Why did Danny not know this? He didn't know that! "How many of my friends' numbers do you have?"

"'Have,'" Andrew scoffed. "They stole my phone and programmed all the numbers in the day we met." Oh. Yeah, that sounded like Sam and Tucker. "I'm sorry, I believe we were on the topic of making you  _rest_."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, that's important and all, but guys-  _Guys_. The physics in the human world are becoming like  _Ghost Zone_ physics." That had Randy stopping, staring down at Danny with wide eyes.

"Decreased gravitational effects?" Oh, right, that was one of the reasons Danny was in love with Randy. Cute science and math nerd.

"Vlad threw a beaker and it  _floated_ down." Instead of looking excited, Randy frowned and held Danny closer. "Randy?"

"Remember… Remember when your forms first started bleeding together? That day me and Andy were really worried over you? It was before I was with you two."

"Oh, uh… Yeah- Yeah, I think so. Why?" That had been a  _while_ ago and Danny only vaguely remembered that there had been something strange about the two.

"We thought you were dying." Oh. Well, that explained the behavior. "You weren't - aren't - but at the time- I went to Clockwork on my own to talk to him about it and he told me you'd be safe, but he also… He said you were becoming what you were always meant to be."

"That I was what?" What he was always meant to be? Why would that lead to his forms bleeding together unless- Oh. All this thoughts on him being a bridge might not have been so far off. "Hey, guys, I know I need to rest-"

"But you're not going to," Andrew flew over to interrupt Danny's next words with a kiss. "Not when there's a mystery to solve. Should I reference meddling kids, here?"

"I mean, we did kind of stop that evil poem of yours," Danny laughed, leaning into the touch on his cheek. "I'll go straight back to Vidya after, I promise, but right now I really need to talk to Clockwork."

"Be safe." Andrew kissed his forehead softly before floating back, Danny feeling Randy's arms tighten around him for a moment.

"Be smart." A kiss to his cheek and a surge of energy sparking across his skin and Danny floated in the air before the doors of the Citadel.

"Sorry, Randy's very dramatic with the teleports." Danny would never hear Citadel, but he got a vague sense that they would probably sigh fondly at the three of them. "Is Clockwork here?" The doors opened and Danny gave a smile, flying inside and quickly heading up to the Tower.

"I believe you're supposed to be resting." Complain, complain, they were all so- Ooh, cookie. Well, if Clockwork was offering.

"Does he ever do what he's told?" Oh, Jazz was still here. Danny wasn't really all that surprised about that, although the hug he was pulled into was nice. "This doesn't count as resting, but I'm glad to see you."

"Good to see you too, Jazz." Danny returned the hug, relaxing a small amount. At least everyone he knew was safe after… Yeah. "So, uh-"

"No, no, I get it." Jazz gathered some tea cups, heading towards what Danny was pretty sure the direction of the kitchen. "I'll go make us some tea and give you two a safe space to talk all of this out."

"The same as always." Flying over to where Clockwork was actually sitting down on the  _couch_ for once, Danny settled beside him, narrowing his eyes. "Are you going to attempt to finish my sentences."

"I don't have my vision anymore, Daniel." Mm. "Although you are still remarkably easy to read. I take it this is to deal with Amity Park's changing nature?"

"No need to sound so smug about it." Danny relaxed a little at Clockwork's laughter, smile falling as he curled around him. "Clockwork… What's happening to me? What am I?" Because there was being a half-ghost, yeah, but this was… This was different.

"It's- It's a bit hard to explain, but I'll do my best." Clockwork waited for his nod to continue. "I suppose it would be more accurate to say you are a reflection."

"A reflection? So, like, what, I mirror what the Ghost Zone is feeling or something?" That sounded pretty accurate, actually, and not at all surprising considering his life.

"Of sorts. As the two worlds bleed together, or, more accurately, as Amity Park and the Ghost Zone bind themselves together, your lives - the reflections of who you are - begin to bleed together. You're unique in the sense that you've become a bridge between the worlds, able to move freely between the two of them."

"What about Vlad and Elle. I mean, they're half ghosts too, right? Shouldn't they be reflections? I mean, Vlad is always so shocked to see how many of my powers I can still use when I'm 'human.'"

"That's where things become complicatedly simple. Elle was formed of raw ectoplasmic energy and science. Her ties are to the human world, in the end. Vladimir was exposed to the energy of the Ghost Zone, but it was more as if the energy took him over rather than he accepted it."

"And me? I'm pretty sure I'm the same." Except no, he wasn't. Vlad had been exposed long term and Elle had been  _created_.

"No. You were born in the world of the living, but you died in our world." Clutching at his chest, Danny thought back to the portal and he… He had died in a way. He had died while  _in_ the Ghost Zone. "Your situation came about through something that can never again be replicated as it was for you and that has had an impact on  _everything_."

"So… So you don't know how this is all going to end?" Startled as he was pulled into a hug, Danny relaxed in the grip as some of his nervous tension finally left him.

"No, I know how it ends, I simply have no idea where it goes from here." Clockwork laughed, Danny looking up at him to see that he was beaming and looking more human than ever before. "Isn't that amazing?"

"Yeah." A reflection of the worlds, huh? That wasn't such a bad thing, really. "It's pretty amazing."


	72. Chapter 72

Chapter Seventy Two

::

Okay, maybe being a reflection of the worlds wasn't the  _best_ thing in the world considering Danny now spent his hero time helping out panicked citizens when they started floating if they jumped over a puddle, but it wasn't bad! The kids seemed to be taken with their new invulnerability when they jumped off the swing sets once they got to the highest they could go. The parents weren't as thrilled, but, well, parents rarely were.

There was also the bright side that now that everyone  _knew_ who he was - at least unofficially - they didn't seem to care when he started using his ghost powers as Danny Fenton. A few who didn't know gave him odd and terrified looks the first few times, but after a few weeks of it all settling in they seemed to just wave him off as that crazy Fenton kid who liked to play hero. Not a bad thing, overall.

The only  _bad_ bad thing was keeping any wandering tourists away from the truth of it all since they didn't seem to be affected, but, well, they had kept the ghosts hidden this long. A few floating humans and glowing eyes weren't so hard after that.

"I don't know… Maybe I'll get that invisible power and I won't have to worry about using cover up." Then there were the teens who were already  _used_ to having strange things happen to them.

"Maybe. I think yesterday- Oh! Hi, Danny!" Star was practically beaming and Danny didn't feel right without at least detouring over to say hi. The science fiction section of the bookstore could wait a few more moments.

"Hey, Star." Thankfully, she didn't start spewing apologies over the last day of school, so Danny hoped it could just stay buried and forgotten in history for a while longer. "What are you guys doing in a bookstore during summer?"

"We could ask you the same thing, Fenton." Ah, of course Dash and Kwan were here- Oh! He saw Valerie lurking at the edges and looking at some books. She offered Danny a weak smile, which, okay, progress. Maybe she was getting her own little friend group back. "Nice work on that fight yesterday, by the way."

"Oh. Uh, thanks?" Okay,  _that_ was going to take some getting used to. Dash complimenting him was  _nightmare fuel_. "It wasn't that bad of a fight, really. Skulker was just pissy at Technus for adding some hidden surprises into his suit. They usually work it out on their own even when I'm not there to play counsellor."

"You still did a great job. Accept the compliment, nerd," Paulina scoffed, rolling her eyes and oh, thank god. Danny had been worried the hero worship would transfer over to him. It was great when he was fourteen, but now, well.

"Hey, actually, I wanted to ask you guys something." That had all of them looking over, Danny clearing his throat nervously. "How- Uh, how did you figure out that it was me? Like, how did you figure out I was half ghost?"

"Are you kidding?" Wha- What was that supposed to mean?! "You went around the school speaking in Ghost to Mr. Riter."

"Don't forget that his eyes would glow when he was annoyed! That was  _creepy_ the first time."

"Then there's the fact 'Phantom' didn't kick his ass when Mr. Riter started flirting back."

"Dude, you changed in the middle of the halls one day. Kind of hard to ignore after that."

"Okay, okay, I get it, I wasn't the best at keeping secrets." Jeez, he had slipped that much? It was sort of okay now, but… Looking to Valerie, Danny saw her roll her eyes and shake her head and oh, yeah, that obvious. Jeez. "I guess I stopped seeing the point near the end."

"I think it's good." Star smiled, bumping her shoulder against Danny's and he really  _should_ get to know these four better now that they weren't making his life a living hell. Star, especially, was sweet. "It kind of meant all of  _this_ could happen, you know?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so." That was a good way of looking at it. That was a  _great_ way of looking at it. Star was definitely the brightest of the A Listers.

"Wait. Wait- This means you really  _are_ fucking Mr. Riter!" Oh, god, he took it all back this was the most horrible thing in his life.

The sharp sound of someone clearing their throat had them all looking to where Andrew was standing at the end of the aisle, eyebrows raised. "You all  _are_ aware that I'll be returning to teach next year, yes?"

While most of them looked suitably chastised, Paulina only narrowed her eyes as she looked between the two of them. "Sir… Danny's seventeen-"

"Okay, gotta go, see you guys later, have a nice summer!" Danny grabbed Andrew's arm and pulled him along at once, the both of them almost dropping their books and Andrew complaining about rude teenagers under his breath in either French or Ghostspeak. It was actually rather hard to tell.

"That…" Danny trailed off before laughter started bubbling out of him. "That was  _great_." At Andrew's look, Danny laughed even more, shaking his head. "No, just… They treated me like Danny. Not Fenton or Phantom or anything, but just- Just  _Danny_." That had for a while, but Danny just hadn't noticed.

"Of course they did." Andrew gave him an odd look, ruffling his hair. "Who else would they treat you as?" Danny only laughed again and oh, yeah. This summer was going to be great.

Except things in his life tended to not stay good for very long.

::

"Whoa, guys, chill. I know you don't really need to breathe and all, but still." Danny had been watching Sam climb a tree to prove she could hang upside down from it, Tucker cheering her on when Johnny and Kitty had flown up to him, looking out of breath. "Where's your bike, anyways-"

"At this point? A bunch of scrap metal at the bottom of the Ghost Zone." Considering how Johnny loved that bike only a  _little_ less than he did Kitty… Danny's ghost form snapped around him, eyes narrowed.

"Tell me what happened." Johnny and Kitty were troublemakers, but no one in the Zone would make them look this panicked. No one friendly, at least. "Everything."

"It's the prison!" The prison? Walker's prison? "We were checking on everything at home and on our way to a party here and then we saw the prison and it looked like it had been torn apart, man!"

"All the guards are gone, Danny." Kitty worried nervously at her lip, Tucker and Sam quickly moving to stand on either side of him. "We ran into one that got away and he was rambling on about  _Walker_."

"So much for him not surviving," Sam muttered, sharing a dark look with Danny. They knew what this meant for the ghosts and humans alike. "Walker took the prison back, then?"

"No. He just went there to gather guards, but get this, he had  _new_ ghosts with him. A whole bunch, too."

"New ghosts? Where-" Fear. Fear and anger and rage and a need to come back… Oh, no. "Section 13." The ones that were alive had escaped. The ones that were  _alive_.

"Not all of Walker's old guards escaped, either," Johnny swallowed. "Only half a dozen and they ran straight for the Observants. We were flying closer to see if we couldn't get more information and, well, it's a good thing Kitty has that kiss of hers."

"We hightailed it out of there fast, but my kiss is only temporary, you know. The few I got will be back and something tells me Walker is going to be pissed we got away."

"I think he's going to be pissed about a lot of things," Tucker snorted, pulling his phone out. "I'm calling your parents, dude, and anyone else I know to get the word out."

"Good idea. Sam, wanna go with Johnny and Kitty? Get the word out that hell is about to break loose again?" They all exchanged a tense laugh, Sam bumping their fists together before running off after Johnny and Kitty, the two ghosts swearing to blast the news to the mountains and back.

"Fuck." Danny ran a hand through his hair, tugging at it sharply before sighing and changing back enough to grab his own phone out of his jeans pocket, dialing up a number at once.

" _If you're calling me then you're either stuck in a building or the world is about to end again. Which one is it?_ "

"Ouch. Not even a hello?" Danny grinned slightly at the laugh before his smile fell just as quick. "It looks like it's time for us to get our justice, Val."

A long silence crackled over the phone, Danny vaguely hearing something that reminded him of Randy when he was fiddling with his guns. " _I won't let you down._ "

"Spread the word. This time Amity Park is going to be ready for whatever Walker can throw at us." He wouldn't let anyone get hurt this time.

" _I'm on it. Stay safe in the meantime, yeah? I'm getting sick of changing these damn bandages._ "

"Think of it like a mark of heroism," Danny grinned, feeling a hint of guilt anyways. "I'll have Randy look at it later. See ya, Val." Exchanging one last goodbye, the two hung up and Danny floated in the air, bumping fists with Tucker who was rambling into his own phone.

He had a Ghost Zone to warn and some mates to prepare because this time Walker was going to be fighting on  _their_ terms.

::

"It's hard to believe how much has changed in a year." After a few eventful hours of warning the town and getting everyone used to using weapons confidently, Danny was floating in the air next to Clockwork, the two staring at the time mirrors that were playing events out from the beginning of Danny's school year. Right now it was stopped on a scene of Danny and Andrew studying on a couch with Randy frowning at a French textbook.

"You've grown quite a lot." Yeah… He had, hadn't he? Sure a lot of bad shit had happened - a  _lot_ considering Spectra and that trip to the past, but just as much good had happened. "It's all lead up to where you are now."

"It felt like so long ago that day Andy came in to teach for us." It felt like a small little joke. Something that would be there and gone in a flash, but Andrew becoming a substitute had led up to  _so much_  in that year. It all would have probably led to this in the end no matter what, but that truly felt like a catalyst. "God, Randy wasn't even with us back then."

"Well, he was always with you in a way," Clockwork chuckled, the scene changing to Randy tucking a blanket around Danny as he and Andrew talked, Randy looking so  _fond_ when Andrew looked away. "It just took a while for all the pieces to fall into place."

"They did, though." And there was that Valentine's day, Randy alone in the kitchen and smiling distantly at something he had baked with an expression that could only be called longing. And then Danny and Andrew had tumbled in and it had all clicked together as it was always meant to. "It's been a pretty crazy year, but I don't think I'd change any of it."

"No?" The fear, the worries, the death, the hatred, the bitterness, all of it had been so hard. No, though. He wouldn't change it. Not when it led to love and victory and joy and happiness and this sense of everything being  _right_. "You, Daniel, are something else entirely."

"Yeah. I'm learning that." He was unique like no one else and he was the echo of the worlds he had grown to love. It was messy and complicated, but, well, that was life. "I won't let him harm my town."

"Oh? So what are you going to do, then?" Clockwork was smiling and sounding fond, Danny watching an image of him and his mates laughing together on the couch flicker by. Amity Park in danger, huh? Well. Only one thing to do.

"I'm going to protect them."


	73. Chapter 73

Chapter Seventy Three

::

For all of his talk of protecting Amity Park and preparing them for the worst and what was about to happen, Danny hadn't expected to be woken up in the early,  _early_ hours of the morning - still technically night - with blaring ghost alarms and the sounds of weapons firing off downstairs. He was only half wake when the door was busted down by two ghosts with guns aimed right at him.

Two gunshots rang out and Danny blinked as the ghosts fell to the ground with screams, and oh, right. Randy and Andrew had stayed over with him. "Looks like Walker was tired of waiting," Andrew mumbled, a swirl of purple in his eyes as he slowly sat up. A familiar scream from downstairs had Danny changing and flying down at once, hands filling with energy and oh. Not a scream. Battle cry.

"Oh, sorry we woke you up sweetie!" Maddie frowned lightly from where she and Jack were surrounded by collapsed ghosts who were a mix between prison guards and Section 13, Jack calmly sucking them up into a thermos. "Are you and the boys alright?"

"We're perfectly fine, Mrs. Fenton," Andrew hummed, sliding his coat on as he walked into the kitchen, Randy close at his heels. "If it's alright with you, however, I suggest we leave. I have no doubt more guards will arrive soon."

"Jesus, I was having a nice dream, too." Danny rubbed at his eyes, trying to get his tired brain to catch up with the fact that this was  _it_. God, his life fucking sucked. Shaking his head, Danny groaned and caught the thermos his dad tossed him before clipping it onto his belt. "Do you think he was just after us?"

"Unlikely." The kitchen phone rang, Randy snatching it up and listening for a moment before looking back to them. "Tucker and Sam say they're fine. Seems like ghosts are attacking all of town."

"They weren't expecting us to be so prepared, I bet," Andrew snorted, heading for the front door. "It seems Walker wants a show."

"Wha- Andy! We can't just walk into the middle of town and call Walker out into a fight!" Danny paused, looking to Randy. "Can we?" It  _would_ save them a lot of time, after all.

"Mhm, yeah," Randy nodded, still on the phone. "We're heading to the center of town now if you two want to follow." Did he just- Randy hung up. He had. He did.  _Why_. "Come along, mon douce. We have an annoyance to take care of."

"Generally you view an army of ghosts after us as more than just an annoyance," Danny grumbled, following after Randy and unsurprised when his parents followed at a more sedate pace, Jack grumbling about coffee and the lack thereof. Truly, he was their prodigy.

Whatever amusement there was at the situation quickly vanished when they saw that ghosts were swarming the skies. It seemed Walker had only waited so long because he was doing a bit more recruiting. Danny didn't know who the hell half the ghosts were, but they were dangerous, there was no doubt about that.

"They're leading everyone towards the center," Randy muttered quietly. Following his gaze, Danny swore because shit, he was right. They were all coming in from the outside and working their way in and there was more than one human running through the streets to either escape or chase after a ghost who had attacked.

"Best not to keep him waiting, then, yeah?" Danny flew towards the park that was somewhat in the middle of Amity Park, feeling his powers spike up around him. It was almost surreal how quickly it all had led up to this, but at the same time he had been in too many fights to be surprised at how fast things were moving now. Besides, having them all in one place was just fine with Danny. It would make it easier to count how many heads he was going to be knocking in that night - morning?

"Hope I didn't wake you, ghost boy." Walker was waiting for him with a good two dozen ghosts floating or standing around him, the man himself looking… Not quite unhinged, but more like Vlad before he and Danny had resolved their differences. Vengeful. "I told you, ghost boy, I'm a man of my word."

"Yeah, somehow I doubt that." It seemed the entire town was being pushed and shoved towards the center - well, maybe not the entire town, but it was pretty close. Even kids and teenagers were being hustled along. "This is between you and me, Walker."

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing." He could feel it. That same rising pressure like there had been before Pariah attacked the town. A normal night turned into something terrifying. "I'm a man of my word and I promised to end you myself."

"Yeah, cause we've seen how well  _that_ works out." See, Danny knew what being angry felt like. He did, really. He knew anger. This, though? This wasn't anger. This was  _wrath_. "Do you remember what's happened to everyone who's ever hurt someone I cared about?"

"They were weak." No, they hadn't been. Danny had always been the weak one, but then people started needing him and now look. He was the  _hero_ of the town. He was the one everyone was looking to as they cloistered together with uneven breathing and tight grips.

The ghosts who lived in the town were defending the humans they had come to adore, the adults were sticking together, teenagers were in groups with backs facing the children that had been forced to run as well. Casper High students were near the front of the lines, weapons ready and primed and Valerie at the front of them with her suit ready and waiting.

It was clear to see that they outnumbered Section 13 and Walker's guards, but they were also human. No matter how it ended people would get hurt, unless… Taking a deep breath, Danny walked over to Walker, frowning as the man only looked confidently amused. "Gonna try and make me part of your truce, boy?"

"Yes." He gave every ghost a chance, even Spectra. Besides, Walker could maybe be reasoned with. He didn't  _have_ to do this. He didn't have to hurt all the ghosts! "Come on, Walker. One last chance to stop this." Danny took another step forward, pushing. "One last chance to stop and repent. It doesn't have to be this way!"

"Look at you. Just a kid who never figured out how the world really works." No. He may have been a 'kid' in some ways still, but he had figured out the world very quickly.

"It screws you over, but that doesn't mean everyone else will. Come on, Walker, you saw what happened to Spectra. I gave her the chance to change and she didn't take it and now she's  _gone_. She refused to change. You- You're still here, though. You can still change! It's not too late-"

Bright green energy flew towards him, Danny sighing softly instead of flinching away as the blast hit a crystal white shield that formed in front of him in a second. He had helped so many ghosts, but he never seemed to be able to help  _these_ two.

"This farce of acceptance ends  _now_!" Walker's voice raised and Danny knew he was speaking to his own. "These monsters are finally going to be destroyed!" He was so lost in his own delusion he didn't even know what he had become, did he? If his mission was to get rid of all ghosts then it wasn't going to end well for any of them. "I'm going to make sure that Amity Park will never be remembered and will be nothing more than a forgotten footnote in history!"

"No, it won't." After all that happened, Amity Park was never going to be forgotten. Danny clenched his fists and gritted his teeth and no. He wouldn't let Walker destroy anymore. "Amity Park is going to be remembered as the place where it all began."

"You wanna bet on that, boy?" The pressure was back and Danny could tell each side was ready to attack or charge or do  _something_.

"Last chance, Walker. Turn away and leave." A breath passed and there was a moment where Danny  _hoped_  and then all hell broke loose.

Danny would like to say that he knew exactly what was happening and that he was in control of it all, but it was a  _mess_. His fear was ramping up to crazy levels and it was all he could do to fly around from group to group and place shields around those he could reach and blast away the ghosts that were in his line of sight.

A normal ghost fight was fine, that was just two people, but this- Why did no one tell him how difficult an actual  _battle_ was. There were hundreds of people all screaming and shouting and firing weapons and the Section 13 ghosts were using their own weapons or mastering their powers and it felt like each movement Danny made was saving him from getting seriously injured.

A flash of red streaked by and caught one of the blasts aimed for his back, Danny returning the favor and knocking out the hunter that had been chasing after Valerie. "Where's Walker!"

"Dunno, he went towards Riter!" Andrew? Why would he- Reality. Andrew could change  _reality_. "Head's up!" Danny ducked just as she threw a grenade, frowning when it zapped four ghosts out of the air and sent them towards a horde of angry teenagers.

"Was that really necessary? You could have hit me!" Danny didn't need to see Valerie's face to know she was grinning at him.

"You dodged, didn't you?" Hmph. Right, Danny needed to get to Andrew. Quickly. "Try near the playground!"

Speeding off, Danny didn't get very far because there were so many people  _in danger_. There were too many ghosts and he could barely keep up with who was on their side and who wasn't and so many people needed to be protected-

The sky seemed to grow darker even as it got lighter, the change causing Danny to stagger in the air and just what was… Oh. A thick dome of crystal white energy was wrapped around the entire park, Danny slowly grinning as hundreds and  _hundreds_ of guns began to appear in the air and  _oh_. Someone had made Randy very, very angry.

A lone streak of white flew towards the middle of the battlefield, Danny shocked when the form settled into Randy himself and he didn't know Randy could do that. It looked like Randy said something, but Danny was too far away to hear and he didn't think it mattered too much when every gun went off at once, the shots curving and flying to hit each and every Section 13 ghost there was.

The action alone seemed to give the humans a bolster of courage, all of them fighting back even more viciously and quickly moving to get the younger ones out of the area. Danny was ready to double back and help when he saw Valerie fighting Walker, both already with nasty hits in on them. God, what he wouldn't give to stop time now.

"Come on, Walker, don't you know to pick on someone your own size!" Danny raised a shield just as an attack was sent towards them, lowering it and letting Valerie fire back her own shot.

"Ain't no one powerful enough to take me on, ghost boy." With that, Danny was being tagged by a small red device that sent him screaming towards the ground and fuck, fuck,  _fuck_ , it felt like he was getting fucking  _shocked_ -

"Don't you touch him!" Danny cracked his eyes open to see Valerie toss a few of her grenades before flying down and ripping the device off of him, swearing viciously and leaving Danny gasping and breathing deeply when it was off. "He's got a lot of tricks up his sleeves."

"God, tell me about it." Rolling over onto his knees, Danny looked up and groaned. "We have company." Of fucking course Walker wouldn't fight fair. All around them they were surrounded by the Section 13 ghosts and the weapons pointed at them didn't exactly look human friendly, either. Considering they were backed up against more fighting and their opponents could  _fly_ …

"I don't know about you, but I like to think we're getting pretty good at unfair fights." Valerie grabbed a gun off her belt, coiled and tense and ready to hop back on her board. "Powers alright?"

"Yeah, just feel like shit." Danny sat up more, staring down the hunters and how  _dare_ they harm his town. How  _dare they_ hurt his friends. Clenching his fists, Danny sucked in a deep breath before breathing out ice and pulling on that cold sensation more and more. "Valerie, I want you to duck behind me when I say to."

"You got a plan?" Well, maybe not a plan, but it was something. Stumbling to his feet, Danny glanced to where the ground was turning to ice underneath him and he had only tried this a few times in small scale, but it  _should_ work.

"Get back." He sucked in a breath, Valerie ducked, and Danny screamed with everything in him, aiming straight for where Walker sat behind his hunters and smirked. He knew the wail was loud - he knew it was - but his entire world went silent as he screamed as it always did.

Although, he could feel the cold, and when his screams finally stuttered out and he fell to the ground gasping for breath as his transformation flickered around him, he saw the area in front of him looked like  _the Far Frozen_.

"Whoa." Valerie steadied him as she sat on the ground herself, eyes wide and hood retracted. "Since when could you do that?"

"Didn't think it'd work to begin with," Danny laughed, voice hoarse and that had definitely taken out a good chunk of hunters. The problem was that Randy could only keep this dome up for so long and it was already flickering and more hunters had quickly swarmed them and-

"I don't believe this is the fight you should be focusing on, little Phantom." What looked like blue circles - clocks? - formed under each hunter before shooting up and wrapping around their necks, lifting them into the air as they screamed and struggled.

"It's not like I was trying to fight them," Danny grumbled, accepting the hand up and smiling at Clockwork. "No more oath."

"No more oath," Clockwork agreed, smile wild and dangerous as the hunters disappeared with him. Danny looked over to Walker before sharing a look with Valerie.

"You got my back, right?" The girl beamed, and the hood moving to cover her face again was all the answer Danny needed.

An unspoken signal and all three were moving forward, Danny fiercely happy to be fighting  _with_ the Red Huntress instead of against her. He was even more proud when he saw others jumping in and out of the fight which was  _incredible_.

A well timed blast from Star and Paulina had a device exploding before it could land on Danny, an attack from his sister had Valerie getting the time she needed to fire off her own attacks. A white shield kept him from getting knocked out of the air and a purple knife destroyed Walker's aim on something that would have been very not good.

It wasn't just Danny and Valerie fighting in this fight, but it was the entire  _town_ that was fighting Walker. They all wanted their town safe and they wanted their ghosts safe and Amity Park was fighting back with a single mindedness that Danny had never seen outside of kids trying to get out of a test.

" _ **Enough!**_ " The word was screamed more than it was spoken and Danny caught a flash of Valerie falling off her board - they were  _forty feet up_ \- before a red thermos was sucking him in and it  _hurt_  and no.

He was sick of the pain, he was tired of fighting so much, he was angry at his home being hurt, and he was  _done_. The energy sunk into him and made him feel like the portal was attacking him and it felt like he was  _dying_ , but he refused to let this go on for any longer and this time it was his  _no more_.

Grabbing at his energy even in the state he was in, Danny threw  _everything_ into the thermos. Every scrap of power and emotion and rage and obsession and  _no more_.

An explosion of burning energy searing into his skin and a sharp ringing in his ears had Danny quickly covering them and oh- Oh! That meant he was free- Get up. He had to get up because the fight wasn't over yet. Staggering to his feet (he was on the ground now?), Danny stared at where Walker was in front of him and shaking in rage.

"What does it take to  _kill you_?!" Unable to stop himself from laughing, Danny shook his head and oh, man.

"More than you have." It seemed that was the question everyone kept asking because despite it all Danny was still here and struggling on. "One more chance." The area around them was clear and Danny's explosion of the thermos must have caused some massive backlash because everything seemed to have gone quiet. " _One more chance_ , Walker."

"After all of this… You're still trying to offer me that damn truce after everything that's happened!" It wasn't like Spectra's soft spoken words and twisted smile. This was nothing but hate and rage.

"I made the truce for everyone - for every ghost. This is  _my_ town and these are  _my_ people and I'm offering you one last chance so  _take it_. Take it and repent and try to do some  _good_ this time. You can still change things!" Because that's what Danny had always been about. Second chances and protecting those he loved.

Although, not everyone deserved those second chances. He knew that as Walker laughed, the sound wild and mad, but, still. He wouldn't be a hero if he didn't try, right? "You're nothing but a weak ghost struggling to survive!"

Danny felt his mates settle on either side of him, Valerie staggering forward from where a ghostly Elle was supporting her and his entire family and all his friends closing in around him, and… No. "Don't mistake kindness for weakness, Walker."

His entire town had fought so hard and Section 13 was destroyed and all that was left was to get rid of Walker. The problem was that Walker would never be able to be contained. He wanted revenge so badly and he would do anything to get it. He would never be able to be stopped like this. "My kindness does not make me weak."

Looking Walker in the eye, Danny sucked in a rattling breath, and " _Time out_." The world fell still and the sound disappeared. All around him he saw the battle had stopped as if someone had pressed a pause button, which… That was sort of what happened. Every face had a fierce look and everyone was so willing to protect… Ah. The sun was rising.

The dusky streets were starting to be taken over by a golden glow that Danny had stopped, the world about to wake up from the horror the night had seen. Danny didn't even want to know how many ghosts and humans had been hurt. He knew at least a few had died. The humans were angry and Section 13 was deadly.

That wasn't for now, though. Not yet. Right now the world was silent and still asleep and there was nothing but him and if Clockwork was still there then he did and said nothing and that was okay. This was Danny's fight.

"I'm sorry." He truly was. Even if his words echoed in this world that no one else would ever see, he still felt like it needed to be said. "I'm so sorry that you ended up like this." Moving even a step felt like he was walking with hundreds of pounds attached to him, but he managed to make it to Randy's side, sliding one of the guns free of it's holster.

"You're never going to stop, though, until all the ghosts are dead." And that was something Danny couldn't let happen. "You won't stop until you get your revenge and I can't let that happen." The gun was warm in his hands and Danny felt Randy's energy clinging to it and mixing with his own, building into something sharp and deadly.

"I'll at least make sure you're remembered, although not how you wanted." Walker and Spectra would be warnings. They would be cautionary tales and monsters that hid between the pages of a book. Nothing more than the Big Bad Wolf and the Boogeyman. "Sorry, but I vowed to protect my town."

Countless drills from his parents had him aiming the gun at Walker, but millions of times watching Randy had him pouring his energy in and building the power up until all it would take was one shot and Danny may not have been Randy, but he still had good aim. "I vowed to protect them, Walker, no matter what it cost me."

Danny looked back to his mates, giving a weak smile. This was going to haunt them for a while, but they would get through it. His mates would help Danny through what he was about to do. "You took care of my last nightmare, so let me take care of this one on my own, okay?"

The energy gathered and grew, the gun burned in his hands, the world was quiet, a shot was fired, Danny breathed out, and-

" _Time in_."


	74. Chapter 74

The final chapter. If you stuck with me this long, then I have no words to express my thanks. If you're just jumping on, then oh boy, you're in for a surprise as Editing Week truly begins. You guys know me, but I swear this isn't a re-write! I'm just going to be going through and re-posting all the chapters after edits, taking out plot holes, and fixing up the stuff I didn't like. In a few days I'll delete and post the last chapter again so you get the update as to what I fixed and include a list of what all changed. I think you'll like it, though! It'll be much more polished!

Right. Right, as always, check out my tumblr...

Actually, for now, just have a good day. I hope this chapter makes you smile and feel the sun on your skin.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter Seventy Four**

::

"And so that's how it all happened. Everything since Andrew was hired to be the substitute teacher at Casper High. Spectra, Section 13, Walker, the attack on Amity Park, yeah. That's all." Danny's breathing was a bit too fast, but that could be excused considering he had just spilled a year's worth of events to the Observants who were holding a trial over  _him_.

If he thought the aftermath of that last battle had been bad when he had restarted time, then it was nothing to Observant guards swarming the place and detaining all of Walker's ghosts. Even worse, though, was when two Observants appeared in front of him and told him that he and his mates were to report for trial. Immediately.

Immediately ended up being a few days thanks to Clockwork's meddling, but, still. That was almost worse since he spent days  _dreading_ what the Observants were going to say to him, or, well. He spent days dreading what they were going to do  _to_ him.

"Two ghosts have faded, an entire section of one of the human governments has been destroyed, you have two bonded to you which should not be possible, the Master of Time has lost his title and a great deal of his powers, an entire human  _town_ knows of our existence even more so than before to the point you've created a Way Point." A what point? "And you say  _that's all_."

"Um, I mean, I left out a few things, but those were kind of personal…" Beside him Randy cleared his throat, Andrew much less subtle in hiding his own laugh. Danny just tried not to blush because, yeah, that- Yeah. "I think I told you all the important stuff, at least."

"Phantom." Oh, jeez. Ghosts only called him Phantom when they were acknowledging he was on their level or when they wanted to kill him. He didn't have a good feeling about the way the Observants said it. "I think it goes without saying that we are displeased by your  _blatant_ disregard for all our rules and laws."

"Hey! I only fought in self defense!" He had only done two things that were unforgivable. One of them he could never take back because otherwise Andrew wouldn't be at his side today, but the other… He didn't regret what happened to Walker all that much.

"If you would let me continue." The Head Observant did a very good impression of sneering at him, Danny mused. "While you do not follow our laws as you should, we stand to admit that you have never caused harm to another outside the bounds of reason." Ha! "Your  _mates_ on the other hand…"

Before Danny could get worked up into a fight - because if it wasn't one thing it was another - there was the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them. Danny glanced back to the empty stands to see Clockwork was sitting on the edge of the dividing wall, small smile on his face. "I believe I've made it quite clear before what my stance on Andrew and Randall was."

While most of the Observant council muttered amongst themselves, the Head Observant gave a sigh that showed just why the stands were empty and why this trial of theirs was on its own. A full trial would have meant dealing with Clockwork even more than necessary, probably. "Clockwork you no longer have a voice in these meetings since your renouncement of your title-"

"Oh, no, I'm here as Daniel's father, of course." Appreciating the glares that weren't quite glares, Danny did his best to not laugh as he caught sight of the absolutely shit-eating grin on Clockwork's face. "If family is still allowed to testify, of course, as is most cases dealing with a young ghost. Since Daniel has only had his powers for a few years-"

" _Moving on_." A yes without saying yes. Nice. "The true matter of the day is to discuss with you how your town is now under Observant watch and protection due to it being one of the Way Points of the Spirit Realm-"

"Whoa, whoa, hey, hold up a second, you keep saying that word, but is that like- Is that weight point like whoa, this is heavy, or is it way point like look that way, over there?" There would have been a very heavy silence if Andrew wasn't shuffling closer and looking eager because he didn't seem to know either and Randy wasn't trying to contain wild laughter.

Surprisingly, the Head Observant actually  _rolled_ his eye. Impressive, but also insulting? It was a simple question! " _Must_ this boy be the bridge?" Clockwork must have nodded because the posture the ghost had now could only be called a slump. "Very well. Honestly, did you think this had never happened before? Did you think a town has never played host to our kind? How naive."

A ghost town… The way Clockwork had explained it had made it  _sound_ like it happened before, but now  _knowing_ it had, that was… That was kind of cool. "So I  _was_ kind of a substitute as the 'halfa'. A go-between for the worlds, right?" A few gave nods as best they could, and, yeah. "So I'll always be kind of the bridge - the reflection - but I won't be like… I won't be chained to the town or anything, right?"

"No, Phantom, you will not." Danny could have  _sworn_ the Head Observant smiled. He probably would have. If he had a mouth. "Unless there is anything else you three have to share?"

Andrew and Randy shared a look, Andrew clearing his throat after a moment, "What are the parameters of getting by keyboard working once again?" The looks grew sour. "If I were to repair it, of course-"

"Don't. Beaumont." That had Randy startling a little and, right, he was probably used to Randy or Riter. "You look shifty." Oh, god, don't laugh, Fenton. They really did work with Randy a lot, didn't they?

"Assuming I found an ancient ritual site within the Ghost Zone-" Randy cut himself off at the groaning from  _all_ of them. "I didn't activate it this time!" Oh, good, Andrew was looking at Randy just as strangely as Danny was. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later-"

"We banned you from speaking of that incident!" One of the Observants snapped, Randy smirking.

"Bans don't apply to mates."

"I believe that will be all," the Head Observant sighed. "Clockwork, stay, if you will?" Clockwork laughed even as he nodded, Danny shifting and that meant they weren't in trouble, right? "You three may leave without any fear of reprimand for the events the last year. Phantom, be aware we will be speaking to you more thoroughly about your role in the future. For now, though, Section 13 is no longer your concern. Don't come back."

"We'll do our absolute best, sir!" Danny darted over to give Clockwork a quick hug, grinning at the ruffle to his hair before he was flying over to latch onto Randy's shoulders. "I'll try not to start any revolutions, revolts, or anything else!"

A flash and they were standing Vidya, the three quiet before Andrew gave a snort of laughter, Randy following not a second later. Danny huffed, horribly offended, "Hey, I think that went great!"

"I didn't think it was possible for them to hate us any more, mon cher, but you have proved me wrong once again." Danny flew over to lecture and was instead distracted by the very nice kiss he was given. "Don't you have a party to prepare for?"

" _We_  do, yes, but we can probably waste a bit more time since Sam's still setting everything up." Danny tugged Andrew down for another kiss, shuddering sharply when he felt a hand press against his lower back and then another rubbing at the tip of his spine and- "Ganging up on me is cheating."

"We like to think of it as creative problem solving," Randy hummed, kissing at Danny's cheek from behind him. "How long until that party?"

"A few hours. At least. Definitely a few hours at least." And if they were a little late, well, Sam wouldn't mind.

::

"Why is it you two are here more than at your actual literal  _mansion_?" Danny, changing back from where he had just come in through the portal, walked over to where Vlad and Elle were working at a station. Well, Vlad looked to be working, Elle was doodling on some paper.

"Um, because our place doesn't have an awesome cool lab where I can blow sh- stuff up and not be yelled at for it."

"Nice save," Vlad replied dryly, squinting at something under a microscope. "I'm not quite sure what Elle is doing, but I've been studying those vines to see if we can't make sure they never crop up again."

"I'm drawing," Elle said sweetly, tapping a hand to where a bunch of maps were spread out all around her. She seemed to be drawing  _on_ the maps themselves.

"Very artistic. I should have you draw with me and Randy sometime." Getting a closer look, he frowned and tapped at the bright purple x's marked all over. "What are these for, buried treasure?"

"Those were there when I found the maps," Elle shrugged. "Dad, what are the giant x's Danny's freaking out about instead of praising my drawings?"

"There's so much wrong with what you just said I don't even know where to start, you little brat."

"Takes one to know one!"

"Hey-!"

"Children." Vlad looked torn between exhaustion and amusement and yeah, Danny could feel him on that one. "It's polite to share."

"Ha ha." Danny tapped at the maps again. "Know what these mean?"

"Hm- Oh. Ley lines." Ley what now? "Honestly, I'm surprised you don't know about them. Jack used to study them quite a lot." Vlad rolled his chair over, nudging Elle to get a bit of room before spreading the maps out more. "They're an old fool's theory about how the 'energy' of the earth ran along certain longitudes and latitudes."

"Like that Ghostbusters movie?" The look Vlad had on was so pained it almost had Danny laughing like Elle was.

"They're said to lead you to monuments of power or ritual sites, like Stonehenge." Huh. Neat. "Ask Andrew, I'm certain he's done some research into it."

"What makes you say that?" Danny frowned, watching Vlad laugh and turn back to his work.

"Have you  _read_ his books?" That… That was probably going to forever cause a feeling in him that he would never know how to name. Cool.

"Isn't this Amity Park?" Looking to where Elle was tapping on the map, Danny frowned and huh. It was. There were a lot of towns that had x's over them, actually. One that looked to be in the middle of the desert, one in California, a few in New York, and another up in Oregon… Ley lines, huh?

The Observants  _had_ said that this wasn't the first town to be like this, so maybe the ley lines had something to do with those Way Point things? Maybe there were other towns like theirs.

"Kids! Lunch is ready!" Maddie's voice was all it took to have Elle jumping down and running for the stairs, Danny stifling a laugh. "You too, Vlad! Danny!"

"Terrifying as always." Vlad grabbed a few papers before heading up the stairs, Danny looking to the maps again for a moment. If Amity Park was so crazy, then he bet those other towns were even crazier. It'd be nice to visit them one day, but, well.

For today, everything was perfect as it was.

::

"You know, it's just going to get even crazier the more everyone gets control of all this energy," Randy pointed out, one leg hanging off the side of the school roof where they were all sitting and watching the teens stream into the school for another new year.

"That doesn't have to be a bad thing," Andrew said softly, sitting sideways and leaning up against Randy, seeming to enjoy being up 'early' for once. "Besides, the people of Amity Park seem well suited to the strange."

"That might be putting it mildly," Randy snorted and considering Valerie just flew in on her suit and retracted it without breaking stride, yeah, he had a point.

Danny only kept watching as the two talked, smiling more and more as he saw the hints of power in all the teens and heard Ghostspeak drifting up to him. He even saw a few of the ghostly teens lingering around and chatting to friends, one of them actually sneaking in with the other students - probably on a dare.

A laugh bubbled up out of him and Danny turned to his mates and, "We did good, didn't we? I mean, everything that happened last year. Spectra, Walker, Section 13, the whole Way Point thing. We did  _good_."

Andrew was the first to smile, shifting to link his hand with Randy's. "Yes, I think we did rather good." Randy beamed, nuzzling against the top of Andrew's head.

"Of course we did. Nothing can beat us when we're all working together, after all." That- Exactly.  _Exactly_.

"More is gonna come." Danny looked back over the town, warm golden sunshine lighting it all up and making it  _perfect_. "More always comes." Spectra and Walker and Section 13 had only been another threat just like Pariah, Dan, and every other ghost he had ever fought. "But things are good, for now."

They were learning. They were learning, and growing, and happy, and everyone in this town had made it through  _so much_ , but there was still a long way to go. More holidays, more dark days, more good days, more days just in general and it… It was all going to be so amazing. There was  _so much_ to come!

It was going to be amazing and Danny honestly couldn't wait, but for now, though, he had today and he had this town and they all had each other. It was all they really needed.

"Come on, Mr. Riter." Danny slid off the edge and into the air, darting around to tug Andrew up and give him a beaming smile. "You've got an English class to substitute for."

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Unbreakable](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15213023) by [Kasena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasena/pseuds/Kasena)




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